US President Donald Trump has announced that Nvidia is now permitted to sell higher-end chips to China, but only to approved buyers and with a 25% export tariff imposed by the United States. The decision marks a shift from earlier restrictions that blocked access to most of Nvidia’s advanced hardware.
The authorization applies to Nvidia’s H200 chip, the company’s second-most powerful processor. Chinese companies remain barred from purchasing the flagship Blackwell B200, which delivers far higher performance.
Until now, Nvidia’s only legally available chip for approved Chinese customers was the H20, a model designed specifically to comply with prior export rules. The H200 is reported to be up to six times faster than the H20 in certain tasks, while the B200 is nearly ten times faster than the H200.
Despite the ban on the B200, more than $1 billion worth of these chips have reportedly entered China through black market channels, according to recent reports.
Although Chinese firms now have legal access to more capable Nvidia hardware, it remains unclear how many will purchase the H200. The Chinese government has repeatedly advised domestic companies to avoid relying on US technology. At the same time, Huawei is attempting to narrow the gap with Nvidia and AMD within three years, though analysts dispute whether such a timeline is realistic.