China limits access to Nvidia's H200 chips despite Trump's ban withdrawal

Following the withdrawal of a chip ban allowing Nvidia to supply AI chips to China, Beijing has reportedly limited access to Nvidia’s H200 chips.

Trump’s decision to allow the export of Nvidia chips to China comes in the wake of China's fresh push to be self-sufficient in semiconductor production.

Citing two people familiar with the matter, Business Post reported that ways to allow limited availability of Nvidia H200 chips have long been under consideration.

It is noteworthy that H200 is Nvidia’s second-best generation of AI chips after the newest Blackwell chip.

How to buy Nvidia's H200 chips in China?

They explained that Nvidia H200 buyers in China will now be required to go through an approval process, submitting requests to purchase the chips and explaining why domestic providers were unable to meet their needs.

The recently dismissed chip ban is said to have ignited the growth engine of Chinese AI chip makers.

While it allows Nvidia to sell its high-end H200 chips to Beijing, the reversal is conditional. It requires Nvidia to pay 15% of its Chinese revenues to the U.S. government.

The chipmaker said providing H200 chips to approved commercial customers, vetted by the Department of Commerce, marks a balanced approach that benefits the U.S.