Key Points
- The Trump administration is considering allowing the sale of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China.
- The move follows a recent trade truce between the U.S. and China.
- The H200 is significantly more powerful than the chips currently allowed for export to China.
- The potential sale is likely to face opposition from those concerned about China’s military advancement.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering allowing the sale of Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, according to people familiar with the matter. This potential move comes as a recent truce in the trade war is improving the prospects for U.S. technology exports to China.
The Commerce Department, which oversees U.S. export controls, is reviewing a possible change to its policy that currently blocks the sale of such advanced chips to China. However, the sources emphasized that these plans could still change.
A White House official declined to comment on the specifics but stated, “The administration is committed to securing America’s global technology leadership and safeguarding our national security.”
This potential shift signals a friendlier approach to China, following a trade and tech war truce agreed upon by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Busan last month.
However, the idea is likely to face opposition from China hawks in Washington, who worry that sending more advanced AI chips to China could help Beijing boost its military. These fears led the previous Biden administration to impose limits on such exports in the first place.
The H200 chip, unveiled two years ago, is a significant step up from its predecessor, the H100, with more high-bandwidth memory, enabling it to process data much faster. It is estimated to be twice as powerful as Nvidia’s H20 chip, which is currently the most advanced AI semiconductor that can legally be exported to China.
This news comes as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whom Trump has praised, was a guest at the White House earlier this week. The Commerce Department also recently approved shipments of Nvidia’s next-generation Blackwell chips to companies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
