Trump Allows Nvidia H200 Exports to Approved China Buyers

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States will permit Nvidia to export its advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips to approved customers in China, marking a reversal of prior export restrictions aimed at curbing Beijing's AI development. The decision, which includes a 25 percent fee on sales revenue directed to the U.S. government, applies to similar chips from companies like AMD and Intel and is intended to balance national security with commercial interests, according to White House statements.

The H200, released in 2024, offers significantly higher performance than the H20 chip previously allowed for sale in China, with processing capabilities about six times greater. U.S. officials had banned exports of the H200 and its predecessor, the H100, since late 2022 to limit China's access to technology that powers large language models and other AI systems. Trump's move follows lobbying from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who argued that restrictions could bolster Chinese competitors like Huawei by handing them a larger domestic market share.

Even before the announcement, Chinese entities have accessed H200 chips through grey market channels, evading U.S....