Overview
- Nvidia’s H200, a high-end AI accelerator approved for export in January under conditions, has not been sold to Chinese companies, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
- Lutnick said Chinese authorities have not granted permissions for companies to buy the H200 because the government wants investment to favor its own semiconductor sector.
- He told senators the U.S. is not sending Nvidia’s newest Blackwell-class chips, describing them as the company’s top-tier parts, and said Chinese government or state-linked buyers are not getting those chips.
- Sources said planned H200 shipments have also bogged down in disputes over sales terms, and trade reporting noted China has largely limited any approvals to universities and research labs.
- Market reports show demand in China remains strong, with Nvidia’s share there falling to under 60% from about 95% before sanctions, and some firms weighing gray-market routes as U.S.-China talks leave the delayed affiliates rule as a possible bargaining tool before Trump’s mid-May visit to Beijing.