WSJ reports that according to people familiar with the matter, "Ahead of U.S.-China talks in London, President Trump authorized Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's team to negotiate away recent restrictions on the sale of a wide variety of technology and other products to China," These comments would seem to chime with those from NEC Director Kevin Hassett, who said earlier that if a deal is reached "any export controls from the US will be eased" (see 'US-CHINA: Hassett-Chip Controls Could Be Relaxed If Rare Earth Deal Reached', 1510BST).
- WSJ: “Historically, export controls have never been used as leverage for trade negotiations,” said Kevin Wolf, a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld who specializes in international trade. “There is no precedent for this.”
- WSJ: "The products covered by recent U.S. restrictions—never publicly announced by the administration—include jet engines and related parts, which China needs to make its own commercial aircraft; software required by Chinese companies to produce chips; and ethane, a component of natural gas important in manufacturing plastics..."
- Speaking in May, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang labelled US export controls on chips to China "a failure", saying the controls gave domestic manufacturers "the spirit, the energy and the government support to accelerate their development/"