Commerce Secretary stalls Trump's Nvidia chip export crackdown to China

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stalled President Donald Trump's crackdown on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China, according to Axios, citing high-level sources. Trump authorized the action on Thursday, marking the third such crackdown this year. Trump consulted billionaire Elon Musk before approving the measure, Axios reported. Lutnick met Thursday with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which Bessent confronted Lutnick over his department's resistance to implementing export controls. Lutnick appeared to agree but said he needed to check with Trump, per Axios. The report highlights ongoing friction within the administration over enforcing restrictions on advanced chip exports to China.