The Commerce Department, which regulates U.S. export controls, is reviewing a potential policy change that would lift restrictions on sales of these high-end AI chips to China. Sources cautioned that plans remain under discussion and could change.
A White House official declined to comment on the review but stressed that the administration remains “committed to securing America’s global technology leadership and safeguarding our national security.” The Commerce Department did not respond to requests for comment, and Nvidia said existing regulations currently prevent it from offering a competitive AI data center chip in China, leaving the market to foreign competitors.
The possible policy shift reflects a friendlier approach to China following a trade and technology truce brokered last month between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Busan. However, some China hawks in Washington remain concerned that sending more advanced AI chips to Beijing could bolster China’s military capabilities—fears that prompted export limits under the Biden administration.
Earlier this year, Trump threatened restrictions on tech exports in response to China’s control over rare earth minerals, critical for manufacturing advanced technology, but most proposed limits were ultimately rolled back.
The Nvidia H200 chip, unveiled two years ago, features more high-bandwidth memory than its predecessor, the H100, enabling faster data processing. Analysts estimate it is twice as powerful as Nvidia’s H20 chip—the most advanced AI semiconductor currently allowed for export to China following a short-lived ban earlier this year.
In other developments, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whom Trump has publicly praised as a “great guy,” attended a White House event this week during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit. The Commerce Department also announced approval of shipments of up to 70,000 Blackwell chips—Nvidia’s next-generation AI chips—to Saudi Arabia’s Humain and G42 of the United Arab Emirates, signaling continued U.S. support for allied AI and tech development.