WASHINGTON — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee on Dec. 10 amid growing scrutiny of how his department policed exports of advanced AI chips, CBS News reported, citing a U.S. official.
Republicans want answers about the Commerce Department’s apparent delay in adding Singapore-based Megaspeed International to the Entity List, which would have restricted its access to advanced chips. The U.S. government suspects Megaspeed of steering Nvidia chips to China in violation of an export ban, according to CBS News.
The scrutiny follows the resignation of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Megaspeed was previously led by Alice Huang, whom CBS News described as a suspected Chinese spy who had an affair with Jensen Huang.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that Treasury, the Pentagon, the U.S. Trade Representative and the State Department had favored listing Megaspeed for months. “But Commerce has the pen,” he told CNBC.
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, said Lutnick appeared to have “used loopholes” to allow some chip sales. The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.
The case matters in Arizona, where Nvidia chips are made at TSMC’s plants in north Phoenix.
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Unknown / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
