Several people familiar with the move said the US Department of Commerce had told so-called electronic design automation groups—which include Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens EDA—to stop supplying their technology to China.

The Bureau of Industry and Security, the arm of the US commerce department that oversees export controls, issued the directive to the companies via letters, according to the people. It was unclear if every US EDA company had received a letter.

The move marks a significant new effort by the administration to stymie China’s ability to develop leading-edge artificial intelligence chips, as it seeks a technological advantage over its geopolitical rival. In April, Washington restricted the export of Nvidia’s China-specific AI chips.