US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo mentioned her division wants extra money to cease China from catching up on cutting-edge semiconductors.
“We cannot let China get these chips. Period,” she mentioned on the Reagan Nationwide Protection Discussion board in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday. “We’re going to deny them our most cutting-edge technology.”
To try this, Raimondo mentioned the Commerce Division’s Bureau of Trade and Safety, which manages export controls for the US, wants extra funding from Congress.
“I have a $200 million budget. That’s like the cost of a few fighter jets. Come on,” she mentioned. “If we’re serious, let’s go fund this operation like it needs to be funded.”
Raimondo mentioned American corporations might want to adapt to US nationwide safety priorities, together with export controls that her division has positioned on semiconductor exports.
“I know there are CEOs of chip companies in this audience who were a little cranky with me when I did that because you’re losing revenue,” she mentioned. “Such is life. Protecting our national security matters more than short-term revenue.”
Raimondo known as out Nvidia Corp., which designed chips particularly for the Chinese language market after the US imposed its preliminary spherical of curbs in October 2022.
“If you redesign a chip around a particular cut line that enables them to do AI, I’m going to control it the very next day,” Raimondo mentioned.
The Commerce Division up to date the semiconductor curbs this fall to seize Nvidia’s made-for-China chips — and the corporate responded by designing three new AI parts for the Asian nation.
Communication with China might help stabilize ties between the 2 international locations, however “on matters of national security, we’ve got to be eyes wide open about the threat,” she mentioned.
“This is the biggest threat we’ve ever had and we need to meet the moment,” she mentioned.
— With help from Mackenzie Hawkins
