Howard Lutnick in the hot seat as lawmakers demand answers on Nvidia sales to China

Lawmakers are seeking testimony from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Nvidia chief Jensen Huang over US approval of billions of dollars in advanced AI chip sales to China. The scrutiny centres on whether export controls were adequate amid national security concerns and reports linking a former Nvidia executive to an alleged Chinese intelligence asset.

Senators say they want Lutnick to explain the decision, while the Senate Banking Committee has requested testimony from him and Huang on 3 December; House investigators are also seeking answers. The Justice Department is investigating Singapore-based Megaspeed and Super Micro Computer, alongside a separate antitrust inquiry. A March indictment alleges a scheme to divert US AI servers to China: prosecutors say $510 million in servers were shipped between April and mid-May 2025, after $2.5 billion in earlier purchases.