US Commerce Department · 2026-06-17 · major
US Pauses DeepSeek Blacklist — 100+ Chinese AI firms spared Entity List
The Trump administration is holding off adding DeepSeek, memory chipmaker CXMT, and over 100 other Chinese firms to the Commerce Department's Entity List, despite an interagency committee approving the listings last year. No new entries have been added since October 2025.
Commerce Department leaves DeepSeek and 100+ Chinese AI/chip firms off the Entity List despite interagency approval — the longest pause in over a decade.
Quick facts
| Firms paused | DeepSeek, CXMT, 100+ others |
|---|---|
| Approval date | 2025 (interagency) |
| Last Entity List update | October 2025 |
| Stated reason | Avoid escalating tensions with Beijing |
| Reported by | Reuters, CNBC, Tom's Hardware, TheNextWeb |
What is it?
The US Entity List restricts US firms from selling chips, software, or technology to listed companies without a license. Reuters reported on June 17 that an interagency committee approved DeepSeek, memory chipmaker CXMT, and over 100 other Chinese AI and chip firms for the list last year — but the Trump administration never published the names.
How does it work?
Adding a company to the Entity List requires final Commerce Department sign-off after interagency review. Reuters' sources name Under-Secretary Jeffrey Kessler as having 'sought to avoid listing Chinese parties for fear of escalating tensions.' No new Entity List additions have been made since October 2025 — the longest gap in over a decade. The 100+ approved firms remain eligible to receive US chips, software, and tools.
Why does it matter?
DeepSeek's open-weight models depend on US AI chips and CUDA software for training and serving. A blacklist would have cut that supply and complicated any commercial pipeline shipping DeepSeek derivatives. The pause preserves US-China AI interoperability for now, but the listings stay pre-approved and could be activated at any time. Anthropic and OpenAI both publicly accused DeepSeek of trying to extract capabilities from their models — the delay is a loss for them.
Who is it for?
AI policy watchers, devs using Chinese open-weight models
Frequently asked questions
- What is the US Entity List?
- The US Entity List is a Commerce Department trade blacklist. US firms cannot ship goods, software, or technology to listed companies without a license, which is usually denied. Adding DeepSeek and CXMT to the Entity List would have cut their access to US-made AI chips and software.
- Why is the Trump administration holding off?
- Per the Reuters report, Under-Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler 'sought to avoid listing Chinese parties for fear of escalating tensions' with Beijing. A 100-firm sweep would be read in China as a major escalation, so the listings approved last year were left unpublished.
- What did Anthropic and OpenAI say about DeepSeek?
- Anthropic said it identified a campaign by DeepSeek and two other Chinese labs to extract capabilities from Claude. OpenAI warned lawmakers that DeepSeek was also targeting its models. Both companies cited these claims when supporting the proposed Entity List addition.
- Does this affect developers using DeepSeek?
- For now, no immediate change. DeepSeek's open weights and API remain available, and the chip supply that trains and serves them keeps flowing. If the listings are eventually published, hosting US-trained derivatives or shipping DeepSeek-based tools to listed entities would require export licenses.