The Malaysian Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) has announced that all exports, transhipment, and transit of high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) chips originating from the United States will require a Strategic Trade Permit under the Strategic Trade Act 2010 (STA 2010).
According to a statement on July 14, this move falls under the provision of Section 12 of the STA 2010.
The provision requires individuals or companies to notify the relevant authority at least 30 days in advance if they know or have reasonable grounds to suspect that an item could be misused or used for restricted activities.
The ministry said the decision was made to close regulatory loopholes while Malaysia conducts a review on whether these AI chips should be formally included in the SIL.
While reaffirming Malaysia’s support for investments and trade aligned with international best practices and multilateral commitments, MITI said that all entities operating in the country must comply with relevant international obligations.