Plus, the U.S. further tightens chip restrictions on Chinese companies. And the European Union doubles down on enforcing its tech regulations. Belle Lin hosts.
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[00:00:30] TNB Tech Minute Here's your TNB Tech Minute for Wednesday, January 15. I'm Belle Lin for The Wall Street Journal. General Motors has signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Norway's Vianode for the delivery of a material critical for electric vehicle batteries. Vianode will supply synthetic anode graphite that will be used in next-generation EV batteries produced by Ultium Cells, GM's battery joint venture with LG Energy Solution.
[00:01:00] The Norwegian company will build production facilities in North America and be ready to start shipping the material in 2027, with the deal running through 2033. The companies did not provide further financial details. The Biden administration is rolling out a flurry of new restrictions on Chinese companies and their access to advanced chips.
[00:01:22] It's part of the administration's last-ditch effort to clamp down on China's ability to harness artificial intelligence for its military and tech sector. The latest rules tighten oversight on chip makers that ship advanced semiconductors to China, requiring them to seek licenses for transactions unless the chip's performance falls below a certain technical threshold. The restrictions also put more than two dozen new entities on a trade blacklist.
[00:01:51] China's Commerce Ministry spokesperson said in a statement before the release of the latest rules that China was, quote, "...strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to the recent trade restrictions by the Biden White House." And the European Union will fully enforce its own laws designed to regulate big tech, according to the European Commission. The comment came in a press conference today from its executive vice president in charge of technological sovereignty, security, and democracy.
[00:02:20] Tech executives in recent days have criticized the EU's strict regulatory landscape just ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking office. The European Commission leader also said that the EU is, quote, "...fully enforcing the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, regulating how some of the world's biggest tech companies govern online safety and compete against one another." For a deeper dive into what's happening in tech, check out tomorrow's Tech News Briefing podcast.