Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, has urged the Trump administration to enforce stricter export controls on AI chips. In a letter to Commerce Department official Jeffrey Kessler, Moolenaar advocated for the rigorous application of the existing foundry rule to prevent high-end semiconductors from reaching restricted Chinese entities.
The congressman highlighted the discovery of Sophgo-manufactured chips within Huawei products as evidence of current enforcement gaps. He argued that allowing exports of specific Nvidia hardware, such as the H200, undermines the effectiveness of the broader export control framework.
Moolenaar has introduced the SCALE Act, which proposes a rolling technical threshold for chip exports. Under this legislation, US-exported chips would be limited to a performance level no more than 110% superior to domestic Chinese manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, he supports capping China's total AI computing power at 10% of US levels.
While Nvidia has lobbied for more targeted export policies, arguing that broad restrictions negatively impact American companies, Moolenaar seeks to tighten oversight. Concerns persist in Congress regarding the rapid advancement of Chinese AI capabilities through smuggled components, proxy sourcing, and supply chain workarounds.
