U.S. President Joe Biden delivers holds a semiconductor chip as he speaks prior to signing an executive order, aimed at addressing a global semiconductor chip shortage, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 24, 2021.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers holds a semiconductor chip as he speaks prior to signing an executive order, aimed at addressing a global semiconductor chip shortage, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 24, 2021. Reuters / JONATHAN ERNST

The Biden administration is reviewing policies for the export of some semiconductor chips to China to ensure that advanced technological know-how does not ending up in Beijing, a top Commerce Department official said during a congressional hearing on Thursday.

"I'm conducting a complete review over those policies...right now, Alan Estevez, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, testified at a hearing of the Senate banking committee on Thursday. "And there's also an interagency process looking at this. So there is a redline on what we would allow the Chinese to access."

Estevez, whose bureau oversees restrictions on U.S. exports to countries like Russia and China, was talking about cutoff points for the most sensitive semiconductors and the tools to make them being allowed to be supplied to China.

The remarks came in response to a question from Sen. Steve Daine about current U.S. efforts to prevent China from enhancing its semiconductor production abilities by stealing American intellectual property.