Nvidia’s (NVDA) sales of H200 AI chips to China are still awaiting final approval from Washington nearly two months after Donald Trump greenlit exports, as the US government conducts a national security review before granting licenses to Chinese customers, the Financial Times reported.
Chinese customers are meanwhile not placing H200 chip orders with Nvidia until it becomes clear whether they will be able to secure the licenses or what conditions will be attached, people familiar with the discussions told the FT.
In December, chief executive Jensen Huang brokered a breakthrough deal with the U.S. president that raised hopes Nvidia (NVDA) could soon return to a market that Huang has said could be worth $50B a year.
In January, the Commerce Department issued a regulation that loosened restrictions on the export of the H200 to China but required the U.S. departments of state, defense, and energy to review any licenses.
The commerce department has completed its analysis, the report said, but several people with knowledge of the interagency discussions said the state department was pushing for tougher restrictions to make it harder for China to use the H200 chips in ways that would undermine U.S. national security.