House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., has asked the Commerce Department to explain how the Trump administration arrived at its decision to allow Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 AI chip to China (see 2512080059), the panel said Dec. 16.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
A group of seven Democratic senators led by Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., asked the Commerce Department Dec. 12 for more information about President Donald Trump’s decision to allow Nvidia to sell advanced H200 AI chips to China (see 2512080059), including how the agency will ensure that “restricted end users,” such as entities linked to China’s military, don't get to use the semiconductors.
A group of Ukrainian nationals on Dec. 10 accused Intel, Texas Instruments, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Mouser Electronics of not doing enough to ensure the semiconductor parts they make don't end up in Russian or Iranian hands (Shumylo v. Texas Instruments, Tex. # 25-09714).
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., this week criticized the Trump administration’s decision to suspend the Bureau of Industry and Security's 50% rule (see 2510300024) and allow exports of Nvidia H200 chips to China, suggesting the U.S. is sacrificing national security for improved trade relations with China.
Although his bill to restrict exports of advanced AI chips didn't make it into the final FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which lawmakers unveiled this week (see 2512080048), Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said late Dec. 9 that he's not giving up on his proposal.
President Donald Trump’s decision to allow exports of more advanced AI chips to China could deal a damaging blow to U.S. efforts to convince the Dutch and Japanese to maintain and strengthen their own export controls against China, former Biden administration national security officials said.
A host of lawmakers criticized President Donald Trump’s decision this week to allow Nvidia to export its H200 chips to China (see 2512080059), saying it will help Beijing catch up to the U.S. in AI. Others were sympathetic or non-committal.
The Commerce Department is working with “all possible speed” to set up its AI exports program and is still accepting feedback on how best to shape it, said Brandon Remington, deputy undersecretary for policy at the International Trade Administration.
The U.S. announced charges against a group of business owners, their companies and associates for illegally exporting advanced Nvidia chips to China the same day President Donald Trump said he plans to ease export controls over those exact chips.