Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Nvidia Corp. plans to resume shipments of its H20 AI chips to China after receiving assurances from the U.S. government that the exports will be approved, Azernews reports.

This marks a significant shift from the previous stance under the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Just a few days ago, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with Trump and officials from his administration at the White House.

According to a statement released on Nvidia's website, "U.S. authorities have assured Nvidia that an export license for H20 will be granted, and the company is hopeful that shipments will begin soon."

Nvidia developed a specialized version of its AI chips for the Chinese market, factoring in the restrictions previously imposed by the U.S. on semiconductor exports. However, in April, U.S. authorities prohibited Nvidia from selling these chips to China without special permission.

The announcement that the White House would allow Nvidia to resume sales of the H20 chips to China surfaced while Jensen Huang was visiting Beijing.

During the visit, Huang also revealed that Nvidia is working on a new AI chip tailored for the Chinese market. This chip, according to Huang, will help with the automation of production and logistics. It is based on Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture, though some of its specifications have been downgraded to comply with existing U.S. restrictions on tech exports to China, according to sources quoted by The Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. decision to permit Nvidia to supply H20 chips to China is seen by Beijing as a gesture of goodwill in ongoing trade negotiations, according to sources familiar with the matter. Access to cutting-edge semiconductor technologies remains a top priority for Chinese negotiators.

The evolving relationship between U.S. tech companies and China reflects broader tensions in the global semiconductor market. As the demand for AI chips skyrockets, both countries are scrambling to secure access to the most advanced technologies. China, in particular, has been making efforts to develop its own semiconductor industry, but relies heavily on imports of high-performance chips from companies like Nvidia.