Dow Jones turns positive, while Nasdaq surges on strong Nvidia results

The Trump administration is moving to restrict the sale of chip design software to China, people familiar with the matter said, as the US government evaluates a broader policy announcement on the issue.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security sent letters to some of the leading providers of electronic design automation, or EDA, last Friday telling them to halt shipments to Chinese customers, said the people, asking not to be identified because the policy isn’t yet public. Top makers of the technology include Cadence Design Systems Inc., Synopsys Inc. and Germany’s Siemens AG.

“The Commerce Department is reviewing exports of strategic significance to China,” an agency spokesperson said. “In some cases, Commerce has suspended existing export licenses or imposed additional license requirements while the review is pending.”