Restrictions on Poland’s Access to U.S. AI Chips
WARSAW (Reuters) – Polish deputy digital minister Dariusz Standerski stated on Wednesday that restrictions on Poland’s access to the U.S.-designed AI chips may be lifted by the Trump administration. A law introduced in the final days of outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration imposed AI chip export restrictions, allowing the U.S. unrestricted access while curbing supply to most nations. The policy classifies countries into three tiers: 18, including Japan, Britain, and France, were largely exempt, while 120, including Poland, would face strict caps. Countries such as Russia, China and Iran would be barred from receiving the technology altogether.
Reaction to the Restrictions
Standerski criticized Biden’s decision as “irresponsible”, expressing that “the outgoing administration was unable to provide us with a specific reason why we found ourselves in tier two”. However, he remarked that the dialogue with the new administration was “very constructive”. When asked about the possibility of Poland moving up to tier one, Standerski responded, “I think there is a big chance for that. Consultations last until May 15.” The White House and the U.S. Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Efforts to Ease Restrictions
Standerski revealed that Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski discussed rolling back the AI chip curbs on Poland with U.S. Vice President JD Vance during the AI Action Summit in Paris last month. Tech groups, including Microsoft, have urged President Donald Trump’s team to ease export restrictions, arguing that the measures should not extend to a group of U.S. allies. Standerski also mentioned that Poland could count on support from the European Commission, which stated that the EU should be able to buy advanced AI chips from the U.S. without limitations.
(Reporting by Barbara Erling; additional reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Alex Richardson)
