Bessent: US Considering Export Controls on Software to China

Restrictions on aircraft engines are also on the table, the Treasury secretary said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at a press conference on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 15, 2025. Ken Cedeno/Reuters

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Oct. 22 that the United States is weighing export controls on software and aircraft engines to China if Beijing does not agree to alter its policies in the upcoming trade talks.

“I will confirm that everything is on the table, that we are going into the negotiations with good intentions [and] with great respect,” Bessent told White House reporters during a press briefing.