ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

House Republican Urges Trump to Enforce AI Chip Rules Targeting Huawei

ai-technology · 2026-08-10

John Moolenaar, a Republican Representative and chair of the House Select Committee on China, has called on the Trump administration to implement a rule from the Biden administration. This rule mandates that chip manufacturers carefully examine orders for advanced logic chips from potential front companies linked to sanctioned Chinese entities. In a correspondence with Jeffrey Kessler at the Commerce Department, Moolenaar highlighted the necessity of this rule to block China’s access to high-end U.S. chips. Established in January 2025, the rule emerged after it was revealed that Sophgo had utilized TSMC to produce chips for Huawei, which is under U.S. sanctions. Moolenaar cautioned that failing to comply could result in lapses in export controls. No comments were provided by Commerce, Huawei, Sophgo, or TSMC.

Key facts

  • John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, urged the Trump administration to enforce a Biden-era rule on AI chip exports.
  • The rule requires chip manufacturers to scrutinize orders of advanced logic chips from companies that could be fronts for sanctioned Chinese firms.
  • The rule was introduced in January 2025 after Sophgo used TSMC to fabricate chips found in Huawei AI processors.
  • Moolenaar's letter was sent to Jeffrey Kessler, the top export-control official at the Commerce Department.
  • The Trump administration has indicated it will not enforce a related Biden-era chip rule.
  • Senator Jim Banks and colleagues pressed the administration to strengthen restrictions on contract chipmakers.
  • Representative Bill Huizenga criticized Kessler last month on the same issue.
  • The administration allowed Nvidia to resume advanced AI chip sales to China, drawing bipartisan criticism.
  • Commerce, Huawei, Sophgo, and TSMC did not respond to requests for comment.

Entities

Institutions

  • House Select Committee on China
  • Commerce Department
  • TSMC
  • Huawei
  • Sophgo
  • Nvidia
  • Reuters

Locations

  • China
  • United States

Sources