U.S. to block Nvidia’s sale of scaled-down AI chips to China despite Trump’s earlier signals.
The White House has reportedly decided to block Nvidia from selling its newest scaled-back artificial intelligence chips to China, reversing earlier indications from President Donald Trump that such exports might be allowed.
According to people familiar with the decision, federal agencies have been informed that no licenses will be granted for Nvidia’s China-specific AI products, which were designed to comply with previous export restrictions. The move underscores Washington’s continued push to limit Beijing’s access to advanced AI hardware, even amid speculation that the administration might relax curbs to support U.S. chipmakers.
The ban is the latest signal that U.S. national security concerns continue to outweigh commercial interests in the AI race, tightening pressure on American semiconductor firms seeking to maintain business ties with Chinese tech clients.
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Nvidia had already distributed samples of its B30A chip to Chinese clients, as the processor can be used to train large language models when deployed in large clusters — a capability in high demand among Chinese tech firms. Following Washington’s move to block exports, Nvidia is reportedly redesigning the chip in hopes of persuading U.S. authorities to reconsider the ban, according to two employees.
The company said it currently has “zero share” of China’s competitive data-centre computing market and that the country is not included in its financial outlook. The White House has so far declined to comment on the situation.
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Info comes via 'The Information' site (gated)
