US considers easing curbs on Nvidia’s H200 AI chip sales to China

• Move comes as signals of détente between Washington and Beijing raise hopes for US technology firms seeking access to the world’s second-largest economy.

The Trump administration is weighing a policy shift that could allow Nvidia Corp to resume sales of its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, according to people familiar with the matter.

The move comes as signals of détente between Washington and Beijing raise hopes for US technology firms seeking access to the world’s second-largest economy.

The Commerce Department, which administers export controls, is reviewing whether to ease restrictions on shipments of advanced AI semiconductors, sources said.

“The administration is committed to securing America’s global technology leadership and safeguarding our national security,” a White House official said, declining to address specifics of the ongoing review.

Creating opportunities

Nvidia, the leading US chipmaker, noted that current regulations block sales of competitive AI data centre chips to China, creating opportunities for foreign rivals to gain a foothold. The company and the Commerce Department declined to comment on the potential policy change.

The review marks a potential pivot following last month’s trade and technology truce brokered between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Busan. Market analysts view the possible resumption of high-end chip exports as a signal of easing tensions.

However, hawkish lawmakers in Washington caution that such moves could fuel Beijing’s military ambitions—a key reason the Biden administration previously imposed, then eased, sweeping curbs on AI chip sales. Trump, facing pressure from Beijing’s use of rare earth mineral export controls, threatened but ultimately softened further restrictions on technology exports earlier this year.

Nvidia’s H200, unveiled in 2023, features significantly more high-bandwidth memory than its predecessor, the H100, increasing processing speeds. Analysts estimate the H200 outpaces the H20—the most advanced AI chip to which US exporters currently have access to the Chinese market—by a factor of two.

The potential policy shift gains additional prominence after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, praised by President Trump as a “great guy,” attended high-level White House meetings this week during the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Separately, the Commerce Department this week approved shipments of up to 70,000 Nvidia Blackwell chips—Nvidia’s forthcoming flagship product—to Saudi firm Humain and UAE-based G42, in a move seen as expanding US tech leadership in the Gulf region.

The outcome of the policy review is still uncertain, industry sources stressed, with any change subject to ongoing security considerations.