Thursday, January 15, 2026- The Trump administration has formally approved the export of Nvidia’s advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips to China under a new regulatory framework, marking a significant shift in U.S. export policy toward high‑end technology.
The Department of Commerce’s revised rules allow Nvidia to ship its H200 GPUs to Chinese customers provided several conditions are met, reflecting efforts to balance economic interests with national security concerns. The approval comes after months of debate in Washington over how to manage access to critical AI hardware.
Under the new rules, each H200 shipment must undergo independent third‑party testing in the U.S. to verify the chips’ technical capabilities before export. Exports will be limited so that China cannot receive more than 50 percent of the total number of H200 chips sold to U.S. customers, and Nvidia must certify that sufficient supply remains available for American users. Chinese buyers must also demonstrate strong security procedures and agree that the chips will not be used for military purposes during their lifecycle.
While Nvidia welcomed the decision as a balanced approach that supports its competitiveness in the global AI market, critics in Congress and the tech community warn that even restricted sales of powerful AI chips could boost China’s technological capabilities and undermine U.S. leadership.
The move also incorporates a provision that allows the U.S. government to collect a 25 percent fee on such exports, part of a broader strategy to capture economic benefits from China’s demand for advanced semiconductors while preserving key national‑security protections.
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