NVIDIA can now sell its high-end AI chips to 'approved customers in China,' Trump says

US President Trump has announced that American tech giant NVIDIA can now sell its high-end AI chips to "approved customers" in China, sparking controversy among lawmakers. The decision comes as the US Commerce Department will collect a 25% tariff on those sales.

According to Trump's statement, he informed China's President Xi Jinping of the new agreement and received a positive response. However, the move has been criticized by several Democratic senators who claim it's a "colossal economic and national security failure" that will aid China's industry and military.

NVIDIA, which designs more powerful chips than those allowed under export restrictions, was previously shut out of the Chinese market due to concerns that its technology would be stolen. However, the company can now sell its H200 processors to approved commercial customers vetted by the Department of Commerce.

The US administration has taken a balanced approach, allowing NVIDIA to keep some business in China while maintaining strict controls on sensitive technology exports. The 25% tariff on AI chip sales is higher than the previously suggested rate of 15%.

Industry insiders say that even without access to high-end chips like Blackwell B200, $1 billion worth of those and other NVIDIA chips have made their way to China through black market channels.

NVIDIA's advanced technology remains out of reach for Chinese companies, according to AI chip experts. Huawei, currently the most advanced company in developing AI technology, recently unveiled a three-year plan to catch up with American giants like NVIDIA and AMD.

Despite this, Trump remains optimistic that his approach will help protect America's interests in the tech sector. The US will continue to scrutinize sales of sensitive chips to China, but for now, it appears that American companies like NVIDIA can keep some business in the lucrative Chinese market.

I don't trust a company that's making billions selling tech to the gov with a 25% tariff slapped on top

So I think what's really going on here is that Trump's trying to find a middle ground between keeping American tech companies happy and not totally shutting out China from getting their hands on advanced AI chips . On one hand, it's a bit of a bummer for lawmakers who are super concerned about the potential security risks , but on the other hand, I think it shows that Trump's willing to listen to industry experts and try to find solutions that work for everyone.

Now, I'm not sure if allowing NVIDIA to sell their high-end chips in China is going to be a total game-changer or just a tiny drop in the bucket . The black market is still doing its thing, which is frustrating, but maybe this move will at least try to get some of those illicit sales under control? And who knows, maybe Huawei's three-year plan will actually pay off and they'll be able to catch up with NVIDIA and AMD soon !

idk why ppl are so upset about this , like china's gonna just magically make their own AI tech or wut ... anywayz, i guess its cool dat america's tryna keep some biz with china, cuz let's be real, we need the cash ... but seriously, 25% tariff? that sounds like a whole lotta drama ... and those dem senators are just salty 'cause they didn't get invited to the AI party

I'm really worried about this move, tbh . I mean, we're talking about high-end AI chips here, which are basically the most advanced tech out there . If China gets its hands on that stuff, it's like giving them a huge leg up in terms of national security and economic power . And from what I've read, it's not just about the chips themselves, but also the expertise and knowledge that comes with using them.

I get that the US wants to keep some business in China, but 25% tariff is still pretty steep . And what about the black market channels? If $1 billion worth of NVIDIA chips are already finding their way into China without export restrictions, how effective can a 25% tariff really be?

I'm just not convinced that this move is going to help American interests in the long run . We need to be careful about who we're letting get our hands on this advanced tech and make sure we're doing everything we can to protect our own security and economy .

omg dont think its a good idea at all 25% tariff on AI chip sales is still gonna hurt americans more than china, and what about national security? those h200 processors are like, super powerful stuff we cant just let china get their hands on it. nvidia trying to keep some business in china is nice i guess but its not worth the risk of our tech being compromised

this is so sus I mean, i get that china has been trying to catch up with us in tech and all, but selling high-end ai chips to china without any strict controls just seems like a recipe for disaster it's like we're giving them the keys to the kingdom and hoping they won't use them to steal our intel or worse at least make them pay a hefty tariff on those sales... that's some common sense right there

I don't think this is a good idea at all . I mean, we're basically selling high-end tech to China without much control over how it's used... it's just too open . And what about national security? We can't let our guard down like this . It's not a problem with China specifically, but more about protecting American interests and intellectual property . I'm worried that we're playing right into China's hands by giving them access to advanced tech like AI chips . This is just gonna make things worse in the long run...

just think about it, China already got its hands on more nvidia chips than they're supposed to have... this 25% tariff isn't gonna stop the black market, is it? still, gotta respect trump's attempt to find a middle ground

I'm so confused about this whole thing . I mean, I get why they're doing it, but at the same time... Like, I know we can't just cut off an entire market, you know? China's got a huge population and all that. And NVIDIA's tech is like, super powerful . But at the same time, I don't want us to be giving away too much of our secrets .

I'm not sure what the plan is here, but it sounds like we're trying to straddle both sides of this thing . On the one hand, we need to keep China from getting ahead of us in tech; on the other hand, we can't just shut them out entirely. And then there's this whole tariff thing... I don't get why it's 25% if they were gonna do it anyway .

I guess what I'm saying is that I wish someone would just explain it to me in plain English . It feels like we're all just winging it here, and I don't know how this is going to play out in the long run .

this is wild , I mean i get why trump wants to make a deal with china and all, but selling high-end ai chips to anyone with an approved customer status? seems kinda... lax . dont even get me started on the 25% tariff, that just feels like a slap in the face to the us taxpayer .

and what's up with these lawmakers being all dramatic about it? "colossal economic and national security failure" sounds like something out of a movie . cant they just have a calm and reasonable conversation instead of stirring up controversy?

i mean, we all know china's gonna keep finding ways to get their hands on advanced tech despite whatever restrictions we put in place . it's like trying to hold back a flood with a broken umbrella .

anyway, its good that america can still do some business in china, but at the same time, i'm kinda worried about the implications of this deal

️️️️️️‍️️️️️️‍️️ The Trump Train is still running on fumes ️️️️️️‍️️ but at least NVIDIA got a new route to China ️️️️️‍️️ and those Dem senators are just mad cuz they can't hack it ️️️️️️‍️️️

I'm shocked by this move from the US government . Selling high-end AI chips to China without proper vetting is a huge risk, especially considering how much tech has already found its way onto the black market in China . I mean, can you imagine if North Korea got their hands on that kind of advanced tech? It's a recipe for disaster .

I also don't think the 25% tariff will do much to stop this kind of thing from happening. Companies like NVIDIA are just going to find ways to work around it . And what about the national security concerns? We're basically giving China a free pass to develop their own tech capabilities, which could potentially put us at a disadvantage in the long run .

I'm all for protecting American interests, but this move seems like a knee-jerk reaction that's not going to solve anything . We need more than just a temporary fix to address these issues – we need a comprehensive strategy that takes into account the global implications of our actions .

omg this is crazy i cant even i feel like theres so much politics involved with this decision and im not even sure if its a good idea or not but at the same time america needs to be open to new markets and opportunities for business growth right? lets see how this all plays out

I'm low-key surprised about this news Trump's move might seem counterintuitive, but I guess you have to consider the bigger picture . The US needs to stay competitive in the AI chip game, and if NVIDIA can keep some business in China without compromising sensitive tech exports, that's a win-win for America . However, I do worry about the 25% tariff – that might stifle innovation in both countries . Still, it's all about finding that sweet spot where US interests aren't compromised, but Chinese companies don't get an unfair advantage either #TechDiplomacy #AIchipTrade

I'm really worried about this new move by Trump . I mean, on one hand, it's good that we're not completely cutting off our nose to spite our face and giving China access to top-notch tech . But on the other hand, this is like playing a game of cat and mouse with China - they'll just find ways to get their hands on our technology anyway .

And have you seen the whole tariff thing? 25% is a pretty steep price to pay for doing business with a country that's essentially been trying to steal our secrets . And what about national security concerns? I don't think we're being paranoid or anything, right?

It's like we're saying one thing but doing another - "we're keeping you in check" while secretly letting them waltz in and take a big ol' chunk of our market . Not impressed with Trump's move

I'm kinda surprised about this decision from Trump . I mean, I get why he wants to protect America's interests and all that, but selling high-end AI chips to China without super strict controls is like playing with fire ! It could actually end up helping China's economy and military development in ways we can't even imagine.

I'm also worried about the black market channels still being open . Like, $1 billion of NVIDIA chips have been smuggled into China already? That's insane . And what if those chips fall into the wrong hands? I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this whole thing plays out . One thing's for sure, it's not good news for anyone who's concerned about tech security .

I'm still thinking about what was said about black market channels and how they're managing to get these high-end AI chips into China... 25% tariff might seem like a lot, but I guess it's worth it if it means keeping some of this tech in the US

The thing that really got me is that even without access to Blackwell B200, $1 billion worth of NVIDIA chips are still making their way into China... What's going on? Shouldn't we be stopping all these black market sales then? I mean, I get what the US administration is trying to do, but it seems like they're playing a game of whack-a-mole with this whole thing...

And have you seen those Chinese companies like Huawei trying to catch up with NVIDIA and AMD? It's like, good luck with that...

I'm not sure about this decision by Trump... Like, I get that we wanna protect our interests and all, but is it really worth letting a company like NVIDIA just sell their chips to anyone in China? I mean, think about it, we've had issues with tech being stolen before, so what makes them think this time will be different? And that 25% tariff thing... seems kinda high, if you ask me. But hey, I guess it's good to know that NVIDIA is still gonna get some business in China, even if it's just a fraction of what they're capable of making. Maybe we can use this as an opportunity to get more control over who gets their tech and when... or maybe not?

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
The fact that even with strict controls, $1 billion worth of AI chips still finds its way into China through black market channels shows us that we're not doing enough to prevent this kind of thing from happening. We need more stringent measures in place to ensure our tech isn't being used against us.