Trump team considering selling Nvidia H200 chips to China, insiders say
While still in the early stages, the talks mark a big departure from the administration’s public stance on semiconductor export controls
US officials are having early discussions on whether to let Nvidia sell its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, according to people familiar with the matter, a contentious potential move that would mark a major win for the world’s most valuable company.
US President Donald Trump’s team had held internal talks about H200 chip shipments to the Asian country in recent days, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss a highly sensitive matter.
No final decision had been made, the people emphasised, and it was entirely possible that the idea remained an internal debate and not result in actual licence approvals, required under export controls that Washington first imposed in 2022.
Still, the fact that H200 shipments are being considered is a major departure from the Trump administration’s earlier public stances on semiconductor export controls.
It also would represent a concession to Beijing that would almost certainly draw widespread opposition from China hawks in Washington.
03:34
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praises China’s AI progress following chip sales approval
Nvidia shares climbed to a session high on the news on Friday. They gained as much as 2 per cent to US$184.29 following earlier declines.