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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.
A poster showing the Trump Gold Card is seen as US President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office in September 2025. Photo: AP
United States

Trump’s ‘gold card’ visa granted to just 1 person so far

This appears to fall short of an earlier claim that the scheme had brought in US$1.3 billion ‘worth’ in just days.

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US-China relations

Exclusive | Trump ally to visit China as US turns up pressure before May summit

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US-China trade war

Zero H200 chips sold to China ‘as of today’, Lutnick tells US lawmakers

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Canada

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

Washington is reportedly seeking concessions before agreeing to open negotiations on revising the US trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Exclusive | Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

War distractions and limited goals risk turning Beijing talks into optics over substance, as expectations shrink and planning falters.

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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

China’s microelectronics, motors, rare earth and magnets – which are foundational to robotics – are the world’s best, says Huang.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the company’s global AI conference in San Jose, California, March 17, 2026. Photo: Reuters
United States

Bill Clinton grilled over Epstein ties by US lawmakers

His testimony follows that of his wife, Hillary Clinton, who says the panel asked her about UFOs and a 2016-era conspiracy theory.

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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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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US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
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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A motorcyclist rides past the TSMC logo outside its building in Hsinchu, Taiwan, February 10, 2026. Photo: EPA
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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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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Project Vault would serve as a commercial “shock absorber”, marking the first civilian-scale US strategic reserve for critical minerals. Photo: Handout
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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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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US President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks at the “Board of Peace” meeting during the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. Photo: AFP
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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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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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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People walk beside a logo outside the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Museum of Innovation at its headquarters in Hsinchu on November 21, 2024. Photo: AFP
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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Taiwanese leader William Lai has said the agreement will strengthen Taiwan’s global competitiveness and deepen hi-tech cooperation with Washington. Photo: AFP
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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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.

Cobalt mined in Congo is mainly sent to China for refining. (Photo: AFP)
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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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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