The U.S. has approved around 10 Chinese firms, including tech giants like Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and JD.com, to purchase Nvidia's H200 AI chips. However, despite this approval, no deliveries have been made so far.
Key Takeaways
The U.S. has approved sales of Nvidia's H200 AI chips to about 10 Chinese firms, including tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent. Despite this approval, no deliveries have been made yet as China strategically assesses the move.
- US clears H200 chip sales to 10 Chinese companies
- Nvidia CEO joins Trump's delegation for high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping
- Approval includes distributors like Lenovo and Foxconn, each allowed up to 75,000 chips
- China pulls back due to Beijing's guidance and security concerns
- Export controls not a major topic in discussions between US and Chinese officials
The clearance comes as President Donald Trump visits China for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip aims to ease trade tensions and potentially unlock stalled efforts to sell the H200 chips in China. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined the delegation, raising hopes for a breakthrough in the tech rivalry.
Before arriving for his high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, United States President Donald Trump aimed to set expectations high. He said he would urge Xi to “open up” China’s economy and announced a delegation of top business executives, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, to accompany him.
The stakes are significant as the U.S.-China tech competition impacts even approved trade deals. Before tightened export curbs, Nvidia commanded about 95% of China’s advanced chip market. The U.S. Commerce Department's approval includes distributors like Lenovo and Foxconn, with each approved customer allowed to purchase up to 75,000 chips. However, Chinese firms have pulled back due to guidance from Beijing.
The delay reflects strategic calculations by China, which fears imports could weaken its push for homegrown AI chips. The U.S. requires Chinese buyers to demonstrate sufficient security procedures and certify inventory in the United States. This has prompted unease in Beijing over potential tampering or hidden vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, Trump's visit also focuses on securing investment from Chinese companies to modernize American factories.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Bloomberg TV that U.S. export controls on semiconductor chips were not a major topic of discussions with Chinese officials in Beijing. This suggests that a breakthrough on selling Nvidia's advanced H200 chips remains uncertain despite Huang's presence at the summit.
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