Two senior Democratic senators have accused the Trump administration of failing to address concerns about export controls quickly enough, warning that advanced American AI chips may have reached Chinese companies through overseas subsidiaries.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) issued the statement on Monday, the day after the Department of Commerce released guidance on the issue.
According to the Senate Banking Committee website, the two senators said delays in clarifying regulations over the past 18 months created uncertainty over whether certain overseas subsidiaries of Chinese-headquartered firms required export licenses.
The guidance issued by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) stated that existing license requirements for advanced AI chips apply to subsidiaries of Chinese-headquartered companies, even when those subsidiaries are located outside China….