Lutnick Vows Stronger Curbs, Saying DeepSeek Isn’t ‘Above Board’

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency that oversees semiconductor trade restrictions suggested that the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek had evaded US export controls and pledged a “very strong” response if he is confirmed as commerce secretary.

“Nvidia’s chips, which they bought tons of, and they found their ways around it, drive their DeepSeek model,” Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, told senators in a confirmation hearing Wednesday. “It’s got to end. If they are going to compete with us, let them compete, but stop using our tools to compete with us. So I’m going ...