Yazılar

Nvidia Criticizes Biden Administration’s Reported AI Chip Export Restrictions

/in /tarafından

Nvidia has expressed concern over a reported plan by the Joe Biden administration to impose new restrictions on AI chip exports, with the company urging the outgoing president not to enact a policy that could harm the U.S. economy and benefit adversaries. Nvidia’s Vice President, Ned Finkle, criticized the potential move, arguing that it could set the U.S. back and play into the hands of international competitors.

The Commerce Department and the White House have not responded to Reuters’ inquiries about the policy. According to exclusive reports, the Commerce Department is planning to approve global AI chip exports while preventing bad actors, particularly China, from accessing these advanced technologies. A Bloomberg News report suggests that new export regulations could be announced soon, with limits on the computing power that can be sent to certain countries, including China.

Finkle warned that the policy, though presented as an anti-China measure, would have broader global consequences, including limiting computing systems for other countries and driving the market toward alternative technologies. The Information Technology Industry Council, representing major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, also voiced concerns, claiming that the restrictions would impede U.S. companies’ ability to compete globally.

Nvidia’s criticism comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20. Trump previously imposed restrictions on U.S. technology sales to China during his first term, citing national security concerns. Nvidia’s stock saw a decline of more than 1% following the Bloomberg report.

 

Biden to Order Tougher Cybersecurity Standards Amid Growing China Hacking Threat

/in /tarafından

President Joe Biden is preparing to issue an executive order aimed at enhancing cybersecurity standards for federal agencies and contractors, as part of efforts to combat the escalating threat of cyberattacks linked to China and cybercriminal organizations. The new executive order, expected to be published in the coming days, seeks to address several high-profile cyberattacks attributed to China, targeting critical infrastructure, government agencies, major telecom firms, and most recently, the U.S. Treasury Department. While the U.S. government has attributed these hacks to China, Beijing has consistently denied involvement.

The proposed order emphasizes stricter standards for secure software development, including the need for vendors to provide detailed documentation that verifies adherence to these standards. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will be tasked with evaluating and validating this documentation through its software attestation program. Vendors whose software fails validation may face further legal action, as per the draft.

Tom Kellermann, Senior Vice President of Cyber Strategy at Contrast Security, expressed support for the effort to push for more secure software development but warned that the proposed attestation process might not go far enough. Kellermann pointed out that the timeline outlined in the order appears arbitrary given the urgency of the threat posed by China, Russia, and cybercriminal syndicates. “They’re already here,” Kellermann said, stressing the ongoing cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure and government agencies, which have been fueled by foreign state actors.

The executive order also includes guidelines for the secure management of access tokens and cryptographic keys used by cloud providers. In 2023, Chinese-linked hackers exploited vulnerabilities in this area to access email accounts belonging to senior U.S. government officials, an issue that was highlighted by Microsoft.

Brandon Wales, Vice President of Cybersecurity Strategy at SentinelOne, acknowledged that the order builds on efforts from the past five years to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities, and emphasized that the Chinese threat is a major focus. However, he also noted that the U.S. faces a broad range of cybersecurity challenges that require ongoing attention.

The White House has declined to comment on the forthcoming order, and CISA did not respond to requests for comment.

 

Lithium Prices Expected to Stabilize in 2025 Amid Mine Closures and China EV Sales

/in /tarafından

Lithium prices are projected to stabilize in 2025 after experiencing a significant 86% drop over the past two years, according to analysts. The decline from the November 2022 peak has forced many global lithium mines to close, but as demand for electric vehicles (EVs) remains strong, particularly in China, analysts anticipate that this will help absorb the oversupply.

The global lithium glut, which reached nearly 150,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) last year, is expected to shrink by half in 2025. This is attributed to a reduction in supply as a result of mine closures and China’s robust support for the EV market, where sales are bolstered by government incentives.

In July 2024, China doubled EV subsidies, leading to a surge in EV sales, which exceeded 5 million vehicles by mid-December. This boost in sales helped drive a temporary rally in lithium prices in late 2024, and analysts expect continued price support throughout 2025 due to ongoing subsidies.

Cameron Hughes, a battery markets analyst at CRU Group, stated that the market surplus is expected to decrease significantly, leading to price recovery. David Merriman, research director at Project Blue, anticipates prices will stabilize at around $11,092 per metric ton in 2025, while Chinese broker Guotai Juan predicts a price range of 60,000 to 90,000 yuan ($8,184 to $12,276).

Despite this optimism, analysts warned that any significant price increases could be limited by the ability to quickly ramp up production at many closed mines if the market proves profitable. Additionally, potential changes in U.S. policy, such as new tariffs on EV battery imports from China or a reduction in domestic EV incentives under the incoming Trump administration, could pose risks to future lithium demand.