AMD's range of Radeon and Instinct GPUs, such as the flagship RX 7900 XTX/XT, the professional-grade PRO W7900, and the upcoming Instinct MI300, are currently facing sales restrictions in China, as stated in a sales advisory guide allegedly from Dell. This restriction is similar to the previous ban on NVIDIA's RTX 4090, highlighting the growing export limitations that U.S.-based companies are encountering for high-end semiconductor products that could potentially be used for military and strategic purposes. It is worth noting that Dell's report includes various AMD Instinct accelerators, which are crucial for data center infrastructure, as well as Radeon GPUs, which are widely utilized in PCs, indicating the widespread impact of this advisory.
The ban encompasses discrete GPUs like AMD's Radeon RX 7900 XTX and 7900 XT, which, despite their potential for data center use, may still be sold under specific "NEC" eligibility. This eligibility allows for continued sales in restricted regions, similar to the sales of NVIDIA's RTX 4090. However, the process to obtain NEC eligibility is time-consuming, potentially leading to supply shortages and increased prices for GPUs. This trend has already been observed with the RX 7900 XTX in China, where it has become a high-end alternative due to the scarcity and inflated pricing of the RTX 4090. The Dell sales advisory also states that sales of the mentioned products are prohibited in 22 countries, including Russia, Iran, Iraq, and others listed below.
