On January 14, according to state media reports, the U.S. government formally approved NVIDIA’s export of H200 AI chips to China on January 13. This decision restores shipments of the chips to Chinese clients, introducing new dynamics into Sino-U.S. semiconductor trade.
Earlier, former President Donald Trump signaled the move via social media, indicating the U.S. government would allow H200 sales to China. Under the arrangement, the U.S. Department of Commerce is responsible for review and security clearance, and the U.S. will also collect approximately 25% in fees from the transactions. Regarding supply chain concerns, an NVIDIA spokesperson told Global Times in December that compliant sales of H200 to authorized Chinese customers will not affect global supply capacity.
Of note are the performance and pricing specifics of H200 as a new-generation “supply-compliant” product. Citing informed sources, Tencent Technology reported that NVIDIA’s price for an 8-card H200 module is around 1.4 million yuan, slightly higher than the previous H20 model. In terms of performance density (TPP), the H200 delivers a computational score of 15,832—about 6.7 times that of H20, marking a significant performance improvement. Separately, it is reported that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang plans to visit China this month (January 2026). Huang made three trips to mainland China in 2025 and has regularly attended company celebrations in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen during the Lunar New Year in recent years, personally handing out red envelopes to employees. His 2024 Spring Festival appearance wearing a northeast-style floral vest and dancing became an industry highlight, underscoring his commitment to the Chinese market.
The U.S. approval comes with multiple conditions. Chips must be commercially available in the U.S., exporters must demonstrate sufficient domestic U.S. supply, recipients must have robust security protocols, and shipments require third-party lab verification of technical capabilities. Furthermore, export volumes to China cannot exceed 50% of total U.S. production. Market uncertainties remain—some U.S. officials previously indicated China had declined H200 chips, while Chinese firms continue accelerating the adoption of domestic AI chip alternatives.
ICgoodFind : The approval of H200 exports to China may temporarily ease high-end AI chip demand, but in the long term, domestic chip substitution remains a core trend.
