US lawmakers are seeking to add several advanced-chip export controls to the annual defense bill, a move that could tighten rules for Nvidia and other companies selling chips to China. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said Thursday the proposals are likely to be included in legislation that Congress must pass this year. Their final wording and scope remain undecided.
Mast said controversy involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had added momentum to the push. The reported controversy concerns an alleged extramarital relationship between Huang and a person described as a possible Chinese spy. Huang resigned as Nvidia CEO on Thursday. Mast questioned oversight of where chips end up and said he wants to examine the role of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
Proposals target chip tracking, equipment exports and sales reviews
The measures under discussion include the Chip Security Act, which would require advanced chips to have location-verification mechanisms intended to combat smuggling. Two other proposals address exports of chipmaking equipment and licensing for sales of AI chips to China.
One proposal would tighten restrictions on chipmaking equipment exports and encourage other countries to adopt controls similar to those of the United States. Another would give Congress an opportunity to review licenses for advanced AI chip sales.
If included in the defense bill, the proposals could change how companies seek export licenses and track the destination of chips. For now, the provisions remain under discussion, and the final legislative text and coverage have yet to be settled.
White House policy and Commerce Department oversight in focus
President Donald Trump has previously been cautious about further tightening chip export restrictions and approved a deal allowing Nvidia to sell more advanced chips to China. That position contrasts with the additional limits being considered in Congress.
Mast said he continues to trust Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, but expressed less confidence in Jeffrey Kessler, the BIS director responsible for export controls. Mast said Kessler has been closely involved in specific questions, including the scope of chip sales, and that they have disagreed over policy. A BIS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mast seeks testimony from Huang
Mast said he wants Huang to testify about the controversy as soon as possible, ideally within a week. He is in contact with Huang’s team but has not ruled out issuing a subpoena if discussions cannot continue or do not proceed in good faith. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
For chip companies, the bill’s progress will determine whether export controls move beyond current executive-branch policy and become more explicit statutory requirements. Congressional review of licenses, limits on equipment exports and chip location verification all remain subject to the bill’s final text and subsequent votes.