President Donald Trump is weighing sweeping new export controls that could block a wide range of software-based products from reaching China, in retaliation for Beijing’s latest restrictions on rare earth exports, Bloomberg reported.
The potential measure—still under consideration—would restrict global shipments of items made with U.S. software or using U.S. software tools, including laptops, semiconductors, and even jet engines, according to one U.S. official and three sources briefed by the government. Advertisement
“Everything imaginable is made with U.S. software,” one source said, underscoring the potentially massive reach of the proposed controls. While it’s unclear whether the plan will move forward, the very fact that it’s on the table signals a dramatic escalation in U.S.–China