US reviews Nvidia H200 AI chip sales to China: trade test

The U.S. has opened an inter‑agency review of potential sales of Nvidia's H200 AI accelerator chips to China, Reuters and the South China Morning Post reported on Dec. 19, 2025. Sources say the review, coordinated by export‑control and national‑security agencies in the Trump administration, could clear the first authorized shipments of H200‑class accelerators to Chinese customers.

The H200 is Nvidia's latest data‑center accelerator for large‑scale model training and inference. Prior U.S. export controls have restricted the firm's most advanced accelerators. The review will assess whether restricted capabilities can be exported under specific license terms while managing national‑security risks. Officials have not disclosed approval criteria, timelines, or prospective buyers.

If agencies approve licenses, shipments would mark a notable easing of controls and could change supply availability for cloud providers and AI labs in China. Lawmakers and security officials are likely to scrutinize any licenses. Reports say no shipments are publicly confirmed; a formal determination could come in the coming weeks.

Why It Matters

• Model procurement scenarios for H200‑class availability in China; capacity and pricing shifts could affect global GPU availability and procurement timelines.
• Update export‑control and data‑access risk assessments to account for conditional licenses that may permit advanced accelerators to leave the U.S.
• Monitor license decisions and vendor communications closely; approved shipments could alter supply forecasts and contract planning for 2026.
• Prepare cloud and ML operations for potential conditional usage restrictions, reporting requirements, or increased policy scrutiny.