Overview
- Authorization is limited to Nvidia’s H200 chips for approved customers, with Blackwell and Rubin remaining off-limits and similar permissions signaled for AMD and Intel.
- President Trump said 25% of revenues from H200 sales to China will be paid to the United States, and officials are exploring a U.S. import route to collect the levy given constitutional limits on export taxes, according to reports.
- Nvidia welcomed the move as a balanced approach, while security experts warned the sales could aid Chinese military capabilities.
- U.S. enforcement continues in parallel as the Justice Department announced arrests of two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling H100 and H200 GPUs.
- Beijing’s acceptance is uncertain with reports of a potential domestic approval process; major Chinese tech firms are seeking H200 units but supply may be constrained as Nvidia shifts output to Blackwell, and Reuters reported Nvidia is testing software-based geolocation to curb diversion.