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Howard Lutnick

Howard Lutnick
Howard Lutnick is the 41st United States Secretary of Commerce, having assumed the role in February 2025. Previously, he was widely known as the long-serving Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, alongside leading BGC Group and Newmark Group. His tenure at Cantor Fitzgerald is notably marked by his resilient leadership in rebuilding the firm after the devastating 9/11 attacks, establishing a significant relief fund for victims’ families. As Commerce Secretary, he is central to US trade negotiations, advocating for tariffs and overseeing areas like semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency regulation. His expertise spans financial services, real estate and technology.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in the Oval Office of the White House during an executive order signing event on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

Washington launches export initiative to ensure ‘future of AI’ is led by US

Chinese competitors targeted as US companies invited to form consortiums to offer full-stack AI solutions around the world.

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Robotics

Nvidia’s Huang calls China ‘formidable’ in robotics as firm bets on physical AI

United States

Bill Clinton grilled over Epstein ties by US lawmakers

Japan

Is Japan’s US$550-billion Trump ‘signing bonus’ a deal with strings attached?

Tokyo races to fund US projects to keep a 15 per cent tariff rate, as critics question if the ‘signing bonus’ is a gift or a high-interest loan.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) reacts while speaking to US troops aboard the USS George Washington with US President Donlald Trump in Yokosuka in October 2025. Photo: AP
United States

Trump’s commerce chief admits going to Epstein island, but plays down relationship

Howard Lutnick acknowledges a 2012 visit to the sex offender’s island that contradicts his previous claims of cutting ties in 2005.

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Semiconductors

Taiwan pushes back on Washington’s aggressive chip relocation demands

The new reality in geopolitics is the structural transformation from ‘made-in-Taiwan’ to ‘made-by-Taiwan’, according to one analyst.

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US-China relations

Top US trade official spells out plan to break China’s grip on critical minerals

Howard Lutnick accuses China of dumping and weaponising supply chains as White House tries to rally allies to its cause.

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US officials (from left) Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are using various methods to try to reduce American dependence on China’s critical minerals supplies. Photo: AP
South Korea

‘Lopsided deal’: South Korean trade experts warn against US tariff pressure

Washington’s tariff pressure is aimed at pushing Seoul to ‘move as fast as Japan’ in implementing its promised investments, analysts say.

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US-China trade war

Trump unveils US$12 billion push to curb China’s grip on critical minerals

The initiative, dubbed Project Vault, aims to create a commercial stockpile to shield US manufacturers from supply shocks and price swings.

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Semiconductors

Chinese firms set for market growth as the global memory super cycle heats up

Eye-watering DRAM prices are bad news for consumers and smartphone brands, but present an opportunity for Chinese firms led by CXMT and YMTC.

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Sexual harassment and assault

Final set of Epstein files released, with mentions of Trump, Musk and Lutnick

The batch contains over 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.

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Documents that were included in the US Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are seen on January 2. Photo: AP
South Korea

South Korea tariff hike: is Trump ‘sending message’ to US court ahead of ruling?

Trump’s message appears more focused on pushing through the US-South Korean trade bill than on permanently raising tariffs, analysts say.

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Donald Trump

‘Never been more relevant’: did Trump make Davos great again?

The Trump administration brought its ‘America First’ agenda to Davos, challenging the summit’s status quo while drawing record crowds of elites.

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Taiwan

Critics in Taiwan question true cost of US deal hailed for tariff cut

Debate centres on Taiwan’s financial commitment to the US – whether US$250 billion or US$500 billion – and if it will harm the economy.

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Taiwanese opposition parties have warned that what officials portray as a tariff win could carry heavy long-term costs for the island’s economy and industrial base. Photo: AFP
Semiconductors

Explainer | Will Trump’s new industrial policy make the global memory chip shortage worse?

The US government warns major memory chipmakers to either pay 100 per cent duties or build their products in America.

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The current shortage and rising prices of regular dynamic random access memory chips have severely affected the consumer electronics market. Photo: Shutterstock
My Take

My Take | Taiwan has just sold out TSMC and half its chips industry to the US

The so-called silicon shield is bust as there will not be much left of the island to defend after the forced relocation of a significant chunk of industrial base under new tariff deal.

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Taiwan

Taipei hails US 15% tariffs ‘home run’ despite fears over US$500 billion cost

Deal risks gutting Taiwan’s semiconductor sector, opposition parties warn, as Beijing dubs it a plot to drain lifeblood of island’s industry.

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US-China relations

Lutnick warns Taipei to keep Trump ‘happy’ as US chip deal draws Beijing rebuke

Trade official says island must stay in Trump’s favour for protection, but says he still plans an April China visit amid good ties with Xi.

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US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (right) and US President Donald Trump are seen last year in the Oval Office of the White House. Photo: AP
Semiconductors

Chinese firms to incur higher costs for deploying AI chips from US: analysts

‘Beijing has made it politically unpalatable for private firms to rely too much on imported AI chips,’ EIU senior analyst Chim Lee says.

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Rare earths

Trump tackles China’s rare earth grip with talks instead of tariffs

The US president’s new global deal-making drive kick-starts what is likely to be a years-long effort to pare reliance on Chinese critical minerals.

US-China trade war

Trump sets 180-day deadline to counter China’s control of critical minerals

US government warns global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade hurdles.

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In a proclamation signed on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the US’ reliance on foreign-processed critical minerals poses a national security threat. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

US will end China’s dominance of rare earths, Trump adviser Navarro predicts

The president’s trade aide says American innovation will ‘quickly wipe away’ Beijing’s ‘weaponisation’ of critical minerals.

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White House trade adviser Peter Navarro speaks to reporters in Washington in August. Photo: TNS
United States

My Take | How Elon Musk and his merry band of billionaires run the United States

China follows a different system, but perhaps America should look into why the richest Chinese do not pose a problem similar to those in the US.

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Year in Review

SCMP Plus Year in Review 2025: China

As the year comes to a close, SCMP Plus highlights the biggest China-related stories of the year.

US-China relations

‘A risk’: wealthy Chinese appear to shun Trump’s ‘gold card’ immigration scheme

Initial excitement fizzles amid limited benefits and security concerns, immigration agents say.

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US President Donald Trump holds up the original US$5 million gold card as he speaks to reporters while on board Air Force One, on April 3. Photo: AP
US-China relations

Nvidia CEO meets Trump, says he’s not sure if China would accept H200 chips

He says he and the US president discussed export controls before he met lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks briefly to reporters in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Nexperia

China, EU shift Nexperia strategy: let the companies work it out

Wang Wentao shifts focus to the boardroom but warns the Dutch government must still scrap the executive order and court ruling fuelling the crisis.

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China-EU relations

EU ministers court Trump on joint China policy, even as public scepticism grows

European officials lobby American counterparts to ‘push back’ on Beijing together, while German poll shows wariness towards Washington.

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