House Pushes for Greater Authority Over AI Chip Exports Following Nvidia’s Success in China

Congress Advances Oversight on AI Chip Exports to China

Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg

Lawmakers in the United States are moving closer to securing the power to oversee the export of artificial intelligence chips to China, a step that could spark conflict with the Trump administration’s recent decision to permit Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 processors to the Chinese market.

This week, a bipartisan House committee dedicated to foreign affairs approved new legislation that would introduce congressional oversight—similar to that used for arms sales—over the export of sophisticated AI chips. The bill, which received support from both Republican and Democratic members, would impose a two-year ban on the sale of Nvidia’s Blackwell chips to China, effectively turning current export restrictions into law.

This legislative push comes in response to President Donald Trump’s recent move to relax long-standing export rules for China, aiming to boost the global adoption of American AI technology. However, this policy shift has faced strong resistance from lawmakers concerned about national security. The Commerce Department formalized the approval for Nvidia’s H200 chip sales to China with a new regulation last week.

The committee passed the bill with a decisive 42-2 vote, sending it to the full House for consideration. While the Senate has yet to introduce a matching bill, senators have proposed separate legislation that would also restrict H200 chip exports.

Representative Gregory Meeks, the committee’s leading Democrat, voiced his concerns, stating that lawmakers want to make it clear that the nation’s security, foreign policy interests, and technological advantages are not negotiable.

If enacted, the bill would require the administration to inform Congress before approving advanced AI chip sales, allowing legislators to review and potentially block export licenses to countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and other rivals. Members of the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Banking committees would also gain access to information about the quantity of chips being exported and the identities of the buyers.

The proposal includes provisions for “trusted” AI companies to obtain license exemptions when exporting chips to U.S. allies and neutral nations—a measure praised by Microsoft executive Fred Humphries. Additionally, the administration would be required to develop a strategy to maintain America’s leadership in AI technology.

Nvidia representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

White House Pushback and Ongoing Debate

David Sacks, the White House’s AI policy chief, has publicly criticized the proposed legislation, which is the latest in a series of congressional efforts to limit the Trump administration’s attempts to allow Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices to re-enter China’s expanding AI chip sector. Last year, the White House intervened to block a bill that would have prioritized U.S. customers for AI chips that might otherwise be exported to China.

Sacks and other administration officials argue that selling to China would make foreign companies more dependent on American technology, strengthening U.S. influence and providing competition to Huawei’s products. Nvidia has also lobbied to sell a modified version of its advanced Blackwell chips to the Chinese market.

However, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have expressed doubts about this approach, emphasizing the need to protect U.S. innovation from potential adversaries. Critics warn that exporting cutting-edge American chips to China could inadvertently enhance its military and economic capabilities, posing a risk to U.S. security.

Representative Brian Mast, a Florida Republican and committee chair, recently criticized opponents of the bill, including Sacks, Nvidia, and their supporters in the White House. He noted that Nvidia has consistently opposed congressional efforts to restrict its chip sales to China since Trump took office.

“We all recognize that we’re engaged in an AI arms race,” Mast remarked during the committee’s session. “So why wouldn’t we want transparency about what AI technology is being offered to our competitors?”

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