US lets NVIDIA sell some AI chips to China (with strings attached)

Business Jan 14, 2026

The Trump administration just reversed its ban on NVIDIA's H200 AI chips going to China, but it's not a free-for-all.
Starting January 16, exports are capped at half of what's sold in the US, and every shipment has to pass inspection by a US-approved lab.

Why does this matter?

NVIDIA can only export if there's enough supply for American buyers first, and Chinese customers have to prove the chips won't be used for military stuff.
Even with these hoops, Chinese companies have ordered over 2 million H200s—though NVIDIA only has about 700,000 in stock.
The catch? These chips are mostly allowed in special cases like university research, so commercial sales are still super limited.
For now, the US keeps its lead in top-tier AI tech.