China has not imported Nvidia H200 AI chips despite US approval

In short: The US has opened a legal path for Nvidia to sell its H200 AI chips to China, but public reporting says China has not brought in any H200 chips so far.

What's going on

Nvidia’s H200 is one of its most powerful chips for AI work. You can think of it like a very fast engine used in big computer centers to train and run AI systems.

In December, the Trump administration said it would allow H200 sales to China, while still blocking Nvidia’s newest and most powerful Blackwell chips. The policy also included a plan for the US government to take 25% of the revenue from those H200 sales.

Later, the Commerce Department set strict conditions for exports. These include a licensing process, checks that shipments do not hurt chip supply for US customers, and third party testing in the United States to confirm what the chips can do and that they meet security requirements.

Even with that US approval in place, the New York Times reports that not a single H200 chip has been purchased and imported into China. The report says Chinese customs authorities told agents that Nvidia’s H series chips, including the H200, should not be allowed into the country. It also says Chinese officials have told tech companies to avoid buying the chips except in narrow cases, partly to avoid relying on something the US could cut off later.

What to watch

Watch whether China loosens its own controls, or keeps pushing local alternatives instead. Also watch how US lawmakers respond, since some argue that any sales could help China’s AI and military work, while others argue controlled sales give the US leverage.

Source: NYTimes