WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) – US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stalled President Donald Trump’s crackdown on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia’s chips to China, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing high-level sources.
Trump on Thursday authorized a crackdown on companies suspected of diverting the chips for the third time this year, Axios reported, adding that the Republican president consulted billionaire Elon Musk before giving the go-ahead.
But Axios reported Lutnick has repeatedly stood in the way.
Lutnick met in the Situation Room on Thursday with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
During the meeting, Bessent confronted Lutnick about resistance from his department on implementing the export controls. Lutnick appeared to agree but said he needed to check with Trump, according to Axios.
(Reporting by Costas Pitas and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Caitlin Webber)
