• D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG
  • D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
Semafor Logo
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG


Flagship newsletter icon
From Semafor Flagship
In your inbox, Every weekday
Sign up

Trump’s Nvidia deal draws backlash from lawmakers

Aug 12, 2025, 7:45pm EDT
PostEmailWhatsapp
US President Donald Trump speaks to media inside the Oval Office.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

The US government’s deal greenlighting two American chipmakers’ exports to China in exchange for a 15% cut of the revenue is drawing backlash.

A prominent Republican lawmaker heading a China committee said the deal incentivizes Washington to let companies sell Beijing technology that enhances its artificial intelligence capabilities, and a Bloomberg columnist argued it gives China “a leg up the US might come to seriously regret.”

The decision underscores worries that US President Donald Trump might be “willing to give too much” to secure a trade deal with China, The New York Times wrote. More broadly, Trump’s deal marks “a real significant break with the way the US government and businesses interact with each other,” an analyst said.

Chart showing share of China exports to US.
AD