Overview
- Shipments are limited to Commerce Department–vetted 'approved customers,' with a reported process routing chips from Taiwanese fabs to the U.S. for BIS inspection before re-export and collection of the 25% fee.
- Top-tier Nvidia Blackwell and forthcoming Rubin chips remain excluded, and the administration says the same framework will extend to AMD and Intel.
- Bipartisan lawmakers voiced security concerns and are pushing or considering legislation such as the SAFE CHIPS approach after a separate GAIN proposal was left out of defense policy talks.
- Beijing’s willingness to allow H200 imports is uncertain, with reports suggesting buyers may face an approval process and noting prior guidance that discouraged purchases of Nvidia’s downgraded H20.
- Nvidia praised the move as a balanced compromise, but the commercial impact hinges on Commerce’s final rules, congressional action, and China’s import decisions.