Lutnick stalled Trump's Nvidia chip crackdown on China despite repeated orders

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick repeatedly delayed export controls on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia AI chips to China, despite President Donald Trump approving action multiple times, according to an Axios report. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Lutnick during a White House Situation Room meeting over the Commerce Department's failure to restrict Singapore-based Megaspeed International. Trump consulted Elon Musk before directing officials to proceed, saying "Let's get it done," but Lutnick later proposed developing options instead of implementing the decision. The dispute centers on Megaspeed, accused of helping divert advanced chips to China through Southeast Asian intermediaries. A senior executive, Alice Huang, is suspected by US intelligence of being a Chinese intelligence asset. The Commerce Department denied Bessent confronted Lutnick, while Trump had approved action at least three times this year.