Iran war hits Trump’s AI chip export push as approvals for chipmakers and other companies stretch

President Donald Trump came to office promising to make America the undisputed leader in artificial intelligence. But the small government office responsible for approving the export of American chips and technology to the world is buckling — and his own administration’s policy choices may be making it worse. According to a Bloomberg News investigation, the Bureau of Industry and Security, housed within the Commerce Department, is facing a combination of staff departures, lengthy approval delays, and shifting policy direction at precisely the moment it is needed most.

Months-long delays in export licence approval