Warren Presses Lutnick Over UAE Access to Sensitive US Tech After Trump Crypto Investment

Senator Elizabeth Warren is questioning Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about a decision to ease export controls on the United Arab Emirates, which invested hundreds of millions in President Trump's cryptocurrency venture.

The UAE was added to a more permissive export-control category last month, allowing certain sensitive products to be shipped under broad exemptions. The change gives the UAE government and its affiliated companies streamlined access to advanced-computing equipment, including semiconductors and servers.

Warren argues that Commerce broke with past practice because every other country receiving similar treatment participates in at least one of four major international export-control agreements. The UAE does not participate in any of these agreements.

The Senator is concerned about the potential influence Trump's cryptocurrency business interests may have on the agency's operations and national security. She has called for Lutnick and Jeffrey Kessler, head of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, to testify before Congress.