22.10.202523:25:35UTC+00U.S. Eyes Retaliatory Software Controls Amid China Trade Tensions

The Trump administration is currently evaluating a comprehensive plan to limit exports of products and technologies, such as laptops and jet engines, that are either powered by or manufactured using U.S. software, in reaction to China's most recent restrictions on rare earth exports. According to Reuters, this proposal coincides with a social media post from Donald Trump on October 10th, where he warned about imposing 100% tariffs on shipments from China to the U.S. and hinted at introducing new regulations on "any and all critical software" by November 1st. Although this strategy is one of several being considered, it would fulfill Trump's promise to curb the export of "critical software." In a related development, Beijing has distributed new surveys to American semiconductor companies requesting detailed information about their operations in China, with an emphasis on understanding differences in pricing, revenue, and profit between U.S. and Asian markets, as reported by Bloomberg News. While specific companies were not identified, the inquiry seems to target leading U.S. chip manufacturers.