Representative John Moolenaar asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to explain President Trump’s decision allowing Nvidia to sell H200 AI chips to China, a shift from earlier U.S. export controls. Moolenaar said the decision relied in part on Huawei performance claims tied to a chip allegedly procured through shell companies. He warned that reversing export restrictions poses strategic risks and requested a briefing by mid-January. The White House and Commerce Department did not immediately comment.
US Lawmaker Demands Answers After Trump Approves Nvidia H200 Chip Sales To China
FILE PHOTO: The NVIDIA logo is displayed on a building in Taipei, Taiwan April 16, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 12 — Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the U.S. House bipartisan select committee on China, has formally asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to explain President Donald Trump’s decision to permit Nvidia to sell H200 artificial intelligence chips to China.
Why the Request Matters
The decision marks a notable departure from prior U.S. policy under both President Trump’s first term and the Biden administration that limited Chinese access to the most powerful AI hardware made by U.S. chipmakers. The H200, while a predecessor to Nvidia’s current flagship processors, remains widely used across the U.S. AI industry and is considered strategically significant.
Concerns Cited by Moolenaar
In a letter to Secretary Lutnick, Moolenaar cited media reports indicating the White House’s choice was influenced in part by claimed performance gains by Huawei Technologies Co. Moolenaar said those claims were tied to a chip allegedly obtained illegally through shell companies from Taiwanese and South Korean suppliers. He added that Huawei’s next-generation product is expected to be a step backward if it must rely solely on domestic Chinese foundries.
"As AI evolves, aggregate computing power — not theoretical per-chip efficiency — will remain the engine of progress," Moolenaar wrote. "Approving the sale of cutting-edge chips to Chinese companies risks undercutting the extraordinary strategic advantage that President Trump achieved in his first term."
Moolenaar requested a classified briefing on the evidence and analysis behind the H200 decision by mid-January. The White House and the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Context And Implications
Lawmakers and industry observers see export controls on advanced chips as a central tool for maintaining U.S. technological advantage and limiting military and dual-use advances by strategic competitors. Moolenaar’s letter frames the administration’s change in policy as a potential risk to that advantage and seeks the factual basis for reversing prior restrictions.
Reporting: Stephen Nellis in San Francisco. Editing: Christian Schmollinger.
