Business · Trade · 1 hr ago
Lutnick reportedly slowed Trump effort to curb Nvidia chip diversion to China
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly slowed a US crackdown on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China.
President Donald Trump authorized the crackdown last Thursday, according to the account, marking the third time this year he had done so.
The dispute centers on export controls meant to limit where US-made chips can be sold.
At a White House meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent challenged Lutnick over his department’s resistance; Lutnick reportedly said he needed to check with Trump.
The US has not added companies to its trade blacklist since October 2025, the longest gap in more than a decade.
Some US lawmakers want Congress to tighten chip-export restrictions, following disclosures involving Nvidia chief Jensen Huang.
It remains unclear whether the crackdown will proceed, and the White House and Lutnick’s spokesperson did not immediately comment.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly slowed President Donald Trump’s effort to crack down on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China.
Trump authorized the crackdown for the third time this year on Thursday of the previous week, according to Axios.
Axios reported that Lutnick repeatedly stood in the way of the effort.
At a White House Situation Room meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Lutnick over his department’s resistance to export controls.
The White House and a spokesperson for Lutnick did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
- Who
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and President Donald Trump.
- What
- Lutnick reportedly slowed a Trump-authorized crackdown on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China.
- When
- Trump authorized the crackdown on Thursday of the previous week, according to Axios.
- Where
- The reported meeting about the export controls took place in the White House Situation Room.
- Why
- The crackdown targets suspected diversion of Nvidia chips to China; Lutnick’s reason for resisting was not stated.
Trump
Lutnick
Crackdown
Trump
Trump authorized a crackdown on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China.
Lutnick
Lutnick reportedly repeatedly stood in the way of the effort.
Export controls
Trump
The administration’s crackdown involved implementing export controls, according to the report.
Lutnick
Lutnick’s department reportedly resisted implementing export controls.
Reuters reported that the Trump administration had held off on adding DeepSeek, CXMT and more than 100 other companies to a trade blacklist.
The most recent additions to the U.S. Entity List had been posted, according to the article.
Trump authorized a crackdown on suspected diversion of Nvidia chips to China for the third time that year, according to Axios.
At a Situation Room meeting, Bessent confronted Lutnick about his department’s resistance to implementing export controls.
- Reported by
- Axios, citing high-level sources
- Commerce secretary
- Howard Lutnick
- President
- Donald Trump
- Target
- Companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China
- Authorization
- Third time this year
- Meeting location
- White House Situation Room