US must re-industrialise, cut China tech reliance, says Trump’s pick for No 2 at Commerce

Nominee asked how he would keep America first as Washington lawmakers fret over Beijing’s lead in EVs, telecoms and advanced manufacturing

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A screenshot of Paul Dabbar, US President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as deputy secretary of commerce, testifying at his confirmation hearing in Washington on Thursday.

Published: 3:54am, 2 May 2025

America must re-industrialise and cut its reliance on China in critical technologies such as semiconductors, 6G and quantum computing, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for deputy secretary of commerce told senators on Thursday.

Paul Dabbar’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation came as bipartisan efforts mount in Washington to limit Beijing’s influence over global supply chains and emerging technologies.

With China expanding its dominance in electric vehicles, telecoms infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, US lawmakers are pressing the Commerce Department to adopt policies that reinforce domestic industry and tech leadership – even if it means pulling back from global integration.

“The accession of China to the WTO was very, very poor for the US economy,” said Dabbar, a former senior energy department official and co-founder of a quantum cybersecurity firm. “We lost about 25 to 30 million jobs in this country as a result.”

Dabbar said the US needed to reframe its trade strategy with China around four goals: national security, re-industrialisation, tariff leverage and revenue.