Trump's Commerce chief Lutnick criticized over chip exports after Nvidia CEO resignation
NVDA•Lawmakers criticized Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the administration’s decision not to add Chinese companies to a US trade blacklist and oversight of Nvidia chip exports to China. President Donald Trump said he had complete confidence in Lutnick.
1. Lawmakers criticize Lutnick
A growing number of lawmakers are criticizing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the administration’s refusal to add dozens of Chinese companies to a US trade blacklist and whether the government properly oversaw Nvidia’s exports to China. The criticism predates Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s resignation, which followed revelations of an affair with a woman US authorities suspect of spying for Beijing.
2. Export control concerns
Senator Elizabeth Warren said Lutnick and Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler must explain why they have not closed export-control loopholes and act to ensure advanced US technology is not fueling China’s military. Republican Senator John Kennedy also said Lutnick needs to answer questions about approving advanced US chip sales to China.
3. Blacklist decisions questioned
A report said Lutnick stalled a crackdown on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China. The administration has held off adding China’s AI startup DeepSeek, memory chipmaker CXMT and more than 100 other companies flagged as national security risks to the trade blacklist. The US has not posted additions to its Entity List since October 2025, the longest such gap in more than a decade. Senator Tom Cotton urged Lutnick to bar CXMT from the US market and deny it access to American technologies.
