House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., said Nov. 20 that he supports a proposal that would require U.S. manufacturers of advanced AI chips to make their products available to American firms before selling them to China and other U.S. arms embargoed countries.
The U.S. arrested two U.S. citizens and two Chinese nationals last week after accusing them of using a purported Florida real estate firm, an Alabama distributor and nearly $4 million in wire transfers to buy and illegally export “cutting edge” chips to China.
The U.S. should work with its allies to increase export restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME), components and services to limit China’s ability to make computing chips, former government officials told lawmakers Nov. 20.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Nov. 20 that he plans to introduce a bill to place subsidiaries on the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List if they're owned 50% or more by companies on that list.
Two House Democrats urged the Trump administration Nov. 20 to brief lawmakers on its decision to authorize the export of up to 35,000 of Nvidia's Blackwell advanced AI chips to companies based in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (see 2511190068).
Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, which oversees the Bureau of Industry and Security, introduced a bill Nov. 17 to promote multilateral coordination on export controls for chipmaking equipment.
Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, which oversees the Bureau of Industry and Security, said Nov. 20 that she’s concerned that recent personnel departures at BIS have caused a “talent drain” at the export control agency.
The U.S. should focus on leading the global diffusion of American AI technology to allies instead of bargaining with Beijing to sell advanced chips to China, an industry official and think tank expert said this week.
The Netherlands is suspending its takeover of Chinese-owned semiconductor firm Nexperia, announced Vincent Karremans, the Dutch minister of economic affairs. The Netherlands has had "constructive discussions with the Chinese authorities" and is "positive about the steps the Chinese authorities have taken to restart the supply of chips to Europe and the rest of the world," he said Nov. 19 in a statement, according to an unofficial translation.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said late Nov. 18 that President Donald Trump’s plan to sell F-35 jets to Saudia Arabia (see 2511180041) “raises major concerns” about protecting U.S. military technology. She urged the Trump administration to explain to the committee why the sale is vital to U.S. national interests.