All-In Breakdown

American AI Export Program

Topic

A US government initiative aimed at ensuring American AI technology (models, chips, applications) is adopted globally by partners and allies to counter Chinese influence.

First Mentioned

1/23/2026, 6:57:21 AM

Last Updated

1/23/2026, 7:00:34 AM

Research Retrieved

1/23/2026, 7:00:34 AM

Summary

The American AI Export Program is a U.S. initiative aimed at increasing the global market share of American AI technology, particularly in the context of intense competition with China. This program is part of a broader strategy to maintain American leadership in the global AI race, which is characterized by significant challenges such as the immense infrastructure buildout required for data centers and the associated energy demands. While American companies in Silicon Valley are noted for their innovation under a principle of "permissionless innovation," concerns exist regarding AI regulation, with a debate between state-level regulations and a proposed federal approach. The U.S. is also actively countering what is described as "Woke AI"—politically biased models—and is engaged in a fierce competition with China across the entire AI stack, from chips, where the U.S. leads, to AI models. China, meanwhile, has advantages in energy production and public AI optimism, and is promoting national champions while restricting competitors. This global AI competition has been significantly impacted by advancements from Chinese companies like DeepSeek, whose cost-effective and high-performing large language models have been described as "upending AI" and triggering a "Sputnik moment" for the U.S., even leading to substantial drops in the market value of established AI hardware leaders like Nvidia.

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    DeepSeek

    Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd., doing business as DeepSeek, is a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company that develops large language models (LLMs). Based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, DeepSeek is owned and funded by the Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer. DeepSeek was founded in July 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, the co-founder of High-Flyer, who also serves as the CEO for both of the companies. The company launched an eponymous chatbot alongside its DeepSeek-R1 model in January 2025. Released under the MIT License, DeepSeek-R1 provides responses comparable to other contemporary large language models, such as OpenAI's GPT-4 and o1. Its training cost was reported to be significantly lower than other LLMs. The company claims that it trained its V3 model for US$6 million—far less than the US$100 million cost for OpenAI's GPT-4 in 2023—and using approximately one-tenth the computing power consumed by Meta's comparable model, Llama 3.1. DeepSeek's success against larger and more established rivals has been described as "upending AI". DeepSeek's models are described as "open weight," meaning the exact parameters are openly shared, although certain usage conditions differ from typical open-source software. The company reportedly recruits AI researchers from top Chinese universities and also hires from outside traditional computer science fields to broaden its models' knowledge and capabilities. DeepSeek significantly reduced training expenses for their R1 model by incorporating techniques such as mixture of experts (MoE) layers. The company also trained its models during ongoing trade restrictions on AI chip exports to China, using weaker AI chips intended for export and employing fewer units overall. Observers say this breakthrough sent "shock waves" through the industry which were described as triggering a "Sputnik moment" for the US in the field of artificial intelligence, particularly due to its open-source, cost-effective, and high-performing AI models. This threatened established AI hardware leaders such as Nvidia; Nvidia's share price dropped sharply, losing US$600 billion in market value, the largest single-company decline in U.S. stock market history.

    Web Search Results
    • [PDF] American AI Exports Program - National Foreign Trade Council

      National Foreign Trade Council 1225 New York Avenue NW, Suite 650B Washington, DC 20005-6156 202-887-0278 Serving America’s International Businesses Since 1914 www.nftc.org December 12, 2025 The Honorable William Kimmitt Under Secretary for International Trade U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 RE: American AI Exports Program (90 FR 48726, October 28, 2025) Docket No. 251025-0165 Dear Under Secretary Kimmitt: The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) appreciates this opportunity to address the Request for Information (RFI) published in the Federal Register on October 28 by the International Trade Administration (ITA), U.S. Department of Commerce. The RFI seeks recommendations to inform and shape the ongoing establishment of the AI Exports [...] and shape the ongoing establishment of the AI Exports Program and implement E.O. 14320. The American AI Exports Program should help drive global demand for the full U.S. AI technology stack, including components and AI services, and ensure that U.S. AI technologies remain leading-edge and globally competitive. To do so, the U.S. Government needs to ensure regulatory coherence and administrative coordination across the interagency, pursue policies that support U.S. semiconductor manufacturing investments, and incentivize strong downstream demand for U.S.-origin chips (both foundational and leading-edge nodes) used in end products across all aspects of AI technologies. To build long-term trust in, and global demand for, U.S. technology solutions, it is also important that the U.S. [...] to AI-optimized computer hardware, data center storage and networking equipment. NFTC recommends that the Commerce Department consider expanding the Program's definition of the AI technology stack to incorporate all functional layers, including infrastructure (chips, data centers, workstations), data, models, and applications (cloud-hosted services, edge-on-device, such as AI PCs). This would allow a holistic approach that supports and boosts the competitiveness of American companies across the entire AI ecosystem. The AI Exports Program should also include the full ecosystem that supports and enables rapid innovation in AI. This goes beyond specific components or hardware to include financing mechanisms and a policy environment that includes regulatory coherence and consistency, and the

    • American AI Exports Program - Federal Register

      The Secretary of Commerce shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Energy, and the Director of OSTP, evaluate submitted proposals for inclusion under the Program. Proposals selected by the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Energy, and the Director of OSTP, will be designated as priority AI export packages and will be supported through priority access to federal financing and other tools. E.O. 14320 provides that the Economic Diplomacy Action Group (EDAG), chaired by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, is to coordinate mobilization of Federal financing tools in support of priority AI export [...] The Department of Commerce (the Department) is issuing this request for information (RFI) to solicit public comment on questions relating to the work of the American AI Exports Program (Program). As directed by Executive Order 14320, “Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack” (E.O. 14320), the Department is establishing and implementing the Program and will issue a public request for proposals from industry-led consortia to deliver full-stack American AI export packages. Through this RFI, the Department is seeking information from the public on the request for proposals that the Department will issue pursuant to E.O. 14320, including comments relating to the AI technology stack, consortia membership and formation, foreign markets, proposals' business and operational [...] To achieve these goals, E.O. 14320 directs the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to establish the American AI Exports Program and issue a public call for proposals from industry-led consortia. Proposals must (1) include full-stack AI technology packages; (2) identify specific target countries or regional blocks for export engagement; (3) describe a business and operational model to explain, at a high level, which entities will build, own, and operate data centers and related infrastructure; (4) detail requested Federal incentives and support mechanisms; and (5) comply with United States export control regimes, outbound investment regulations and end user policies.

    • EXIM Powers American AI Exports Program, Backing President ...

      alyssa.pettus@exim.gov; 202-578-8733 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), in close coordination with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the U.S. Departments of Commerce and State, is proud to support the launch of the American AI Exports Program—announced yesterday by our interagency partners as a bold, whole-of-government effort under President Trump’s leadership to advance U.S. innovation and global competitiveness in trusted, full-stack artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. [...] As a member of the Economic Diplomacy Action Group (EDAG), EXIM is deploying its full suite of financing tools to accelerate the export of U.S.-made AI infrastructure, hardware, and software solutions. Through its China and Transformational Exports Program, a Congressional mandate signed into law by President Trump, EXIM ensures that American innovation and manufacturing lead the industries of the future. As part of this mandate, EXIM is specifically tasked with increasing financing for exports in transformational sectors, including Artificial Intelligence, to help U.S. companies compete and win in strategic global markets. [...] EXIM encourages U.S. companies engaged in AI development, deployment, and infrastructure to explore financing opportunities and participate in the RFI. For more information, visit AIexports.gov. ABOUT EXIM:

    • The Department of Commerce Announces American AI Exports ...

      The implementation of the American AI Exports Program commences with industry engagement, including a Request for Information (RFI)to invite public comments from U.S. and global technology companies to shape the Program, understand industry needs, and ensure that policy outcomes are met. [...] WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) today announced the implementation of the American AI Exports Program, following President Donald J. Trump’s July 23 Executive Order on Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack. Under President Trump’s direction, the Department of Commerce is launching a full-stack AI export promotion program to advance America’s global leadership in AI. The program will select industry-led export packages that will include AI hardware, software, models, and applications across industry sectors for promotion to countries and regions around the world. [...] To facilitate connections between interested U.S. companies and trusted foreign buyers, the Department of Commerce will launch a new website, AIexports.gov,and establish an integrated American AI export team. To provide a global presence for the Program, the International Trade Administration will leverage its expertise in export promotion through its commercial service officers across the United States and the globe. The Department of Commerce will also partner with the Department of State to leverage its foreign service officers and ambassadors in support of this effort around the world.

    • Promoting the Stack: Trump's AI Export Incentive Program Explained

      Essentially, the EO gives the Department of Commerce 90 days to establish the American AI Exports Program, through which participating industry-led consortia can gain access to: Financing from the Export–Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Additional diplomatic support, and Other “incentives and support mechanisms” requested by the applicant. In return the consortia must: [...] Written By Onni Aarne ## Overview of the Executive Order Alongside its AI Action Plan, the Trump administration published an executive order (EO) for Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack. The Action Plan describes the goal of the EO as follows: “Establish and operationalize a program within DOC aimed at gathering proposals from industry consortia for full-stack AI export packages. Once consortia are selected by DOC, the Economic Diplomacy Action Group, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the Export-Import Bank, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and the Department of State (DOS) should coordinate with DOC to facilitate deals that meet U.S.-approved security requirements and standards.”