Match Act poised for inclusion in Senate NDAA as US tightens chip export controls

A bipartisan bill designed to close loopholes in US semiconductor export controls is on track to be folded into the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. The Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware Act, better known as the MATCH Act, would push allied nations to match American restrictions on selling advanced chipmaking tools to adversaries, primarily China.

The bill’s expected inclusion in the NDAA manager’s amendment is a significant legislative milestone. Getting stapled to the annual defense spending bill, which Congress has passed for more than 60 consecutive years, is about as close to a guaranteed floor vote as any standalone bill can hope for.

What the MATCH Act actually does

Introduced in April 2026 by Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Andy Kim (D-NJ), the MATCH Act (S. 4281) targets a specific and awkward problem in US tech policy. American restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing equipment are reportedly stricter than those imposed by close allies. That asymmetry creates two issues simultaneously: it puts US companies at a competitive disadvantage while still failing to keep advanced tools out of Chinese hands.

The bill’s core provisions aim to create uniform export controls across allied nations, ensuring that when the US restricts a piece of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, partner countries do the same. Rather than relying solely on unilateral US export control lists, the legislation promotes a multilateral framework.

A companion bill, H.R. 8170, has been introduced in the House by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-5), giving the effort bicameral legs.

The coalition behind the push

The MATCH Act didn’t arrive at the NDAA doorstep by accident. In June 2026, a coalition led by the AI Policy Network urged the Senate to advance the legislation, framing it as essential to maintaining American leadership in both semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

The bill is expected to be included alongside related measures like the AI Overwatch Act and the Chip Security Act, signaling that Congress is treating semiconductor and AI supply chain security as a package deal rather than a series of one-off legislative fixes.

Why allied alignment matters now

The Netherlands and Japan, home to ASML and Tokyo Electron respectively, are two of the most critical players in this space. Both countries have implemented their own restrictions on semiconductor equipment exports, but the specifics don’t always align perfectly with US rules. Those gaps create arbitrage opportunities that sophisticated state actors are well-positioned to exploit.

The bill also addresses entity-based restriction gaps in existing export controls. Current rules target specific companies and end users, but front companies and shell entities can circumvent those lists with relative ease. The MATCH Act aims to tighten these loopholes, making it harder for restricted entities to simply reorganize under a new name and resume purchases.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.