KUALA LUMPUR: Effective immediately, 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).
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said in a statement on Monday (July 14) that this move falls under the ‘catch-all control’ 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.
This applies even if the items are not in the Strategic Items List (SIL).
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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.
“Malaysia stands firm against any attempt to circumvent export controls or engage in illicit trade activities,” MITI stated, warning that strict legal action would be taken against any party found in breach of the STA 2010 or related laws.
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 to avoid the risk of secondary sanctions.
The ministry reiterated its commitment to maintaining a safe, secure, transparent, and rules-based trading environment, and emphasised that it will not tolerate any misuse of Malaysia’s jurisdiction for illicit trade activities.
