The Trump administration is considering measures against Chinese AI models that could amount to an effective ban.
According to Axios, the Department of Commerce, the NSA, and the White House have explored several options since 2025. These include placing Chinese AI labs on a sanctions list, issuing security warnings, and using an executive order to impose security requirements and liability on U.S. companies that host Chinese models.
The Commerce Department reportedly drafted rules as early as summer 2025 to protect domestic supply chains from Chinese open-source models. Advisers who favored a lighter regulatory approach initially blocked those efforts. But the release of China's Kimi K3 model and personnel changes in the White House have helped supporters of tighter restrictions regain influence.
A direct ban wouldn't even be necessary. A source close to the government told Axios that "what's actually happening is slower and more durable," pointing to procurement rules, sanctions threats, and public pressure campaigns against U.S. companies that use Chinese models.
OpenAI strategist predicts "FUD" regulation
