China Turns Away Nvidia H200 Despite US Export Approval
China is preparing to limit access to Nvidia’s advanced H200 artificial-intelligence chips, despite a recent U.S. policy shift that would allow the chips to be exported to China, according to the Financial Times, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.
The development matters because it adds another hurdle for U.S. chipmakers trying to sell into the Chinese market, even when Washington signs off on exports. It also highlights how quickly the U.S.-China tech dispute can change the rules around products that power data centers, automation, and advanced computing.
White House AI adviser David Sacks said China has “figured out” the U.S. strategy behind allowing H200 sales and is rejecting the chip in favor of domestically developed semiconductors, citing news reports.
At the same time, China has not publicly accepted or rejected the H200. The Chinese government also has not publicly greenlit any purchase, according to the information provided. Chinese officials were reported to have held emergency discussions among regulators and were expected to decide whether shipments would be allowed under a new approval process.
The U.S. change would allow Nvidia to export the H200 to “approved customers” under a framework that includes a 25% U.S. government fee on sales, reversing earlier restrictions that had effectively blocked Nvidia from selling certain advanced chips into China.
For China, the reported move fits a broader push toward self-sufficiency in semiconductor production. China previously shunned Nvidia’s less capable H20 chip, and regulators are now weighing how to handle the more advanced H200.
For trucking and logistics, the chip fight is another reminder that supply chains don’t just turn on fuel and freight rates. High-end processors like these are tied to the data centers and systems that support routing, warehouse automation, and the broader tech backbone that the freight economy runs on. When governments tighten or loosen access, it can reshape where equipment gets built and how quickly technology moves across borders.