The U.S. Department of Commerce has informed the top three chip design software providers — Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, and Siemens — that it is lifting the licensing requirements for doing business with China, Bloomberg reports.
Siemens confirmed that full access to its technologies has been restored for Chinese clients. Synopsys and Cadence are also working to resume full-scale operations in China.
The decision comes as part of a broader U.S.–China trade agreement signed at the end of June 2025, which also includes a commitment from Beijing to accelerate export approvals for rare earth elements — critical materials used in advanced technologies, including semiconductors and defense applications.
However, the U.S. has maintained its ban on the export of Nvidia’s H20 chips, which are designed for AI model training, citing national security concerns.
This move marks a step toward easing tech tensions between the two countries and reopening avenues for collaboration in the semiconductor sector.
