U. S. Lawmaker Questions Trump's Move on Nvidia Chips to China

A U. S. representative is raising eyebrows over a recent decision by President Donald Trump. The decision allows Nvidia to sell its H200 chips to China. This move goes against previous policies from both Trump's and President Joseph Biden's administrations. Those policies restricted China's access to advanced AI hardware from U. S. companies. The H200 chip is not Nvidia's latest model but is still widely used in the U. S. AI industry. Representative John Moolenaar, who leads a bipartisan committee focused on China, wants answers. He sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick asking for details on the decision. Moolenaar's letter points to media reports suggesting that Trump's decision was influenced by Huawei's claimed advancements in chip performance. However, Moolenaar argues that these gains came from chips illegally obtained through shell companies. He also notes that Huawei's next chip is expected to be less advanced due to reliance on domestic Chinese factories. Moolenaar believes that Trump's earlier export controls were effective. He argues that allowing the sale of advanced chips to China could weaken the U. S. 's strategic advantage. He wants a briefing on the evidence and analysis behind the H200 decision by mid-January. The White House and Commerce Department have not yet responded to requests for comment. This decision has sparked a debate about the best way to handle U. S. -China relations in the tech industry.