U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has urged tougher restrictions on China’s AI technology, citing concerns over Chinese startup DeepSeek. In a letter to Jeffrey Kessler, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Warren called for stronger controls on AI chip exports. She emphasized the need to prevent Chinese firms from circumventing U.S. restrictions by using front companies.
Warren pushed for tighter regulations on high-powered inference chips, including Nvidia’s H20, and stricter measures against ChangXin Memory Technology and advanced memory production. The senator warned that Chinese companies like Huawei, SMIC, and Sugon, already on the U.S. Entity List, are using aliases to acquire restricted U.S. technology. She demanded Kessler take action against such tactics by adding more front companies to the list.
The Biden administration has already expanded restrictions on ChangXin, and Warren is pressing for further enforcement. She also questioned whether Huawei and SMIC violated U.S. law by producing 7-nanometer chips using American technology.
Kessler, a former Commerce Department trade enforcement official and current WilmerHale partner, faces a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing on Thursday. In his written testimony, he acknowledged China’s rapid technological advancements and stressed the importance of a strong U.S. response.
Neither Kessler nor the Commerce Department immediately commented on Warren’s letter. Huawei, SMIC, and Sugon also did not respond to requests for comment.
Warren’s push highlights ongoing U.S.-China tensions over AI and semiconductor technology, reinforcing the urgency of stricter trade controls to protect American innovation.