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U.S. Clears Conditional Nvidia H200 Exports to China as Beijing Signals Tight Approvals

Washington shifts to case-by-case licensing with safeguards that protect U.S. supply, barring military use.

Overview

  • The Commerce Department finalized a rule moving H200 exports from a presumption of denial to individual license reviews with strict verification requirements.
  • Approved shipments must pass independent U.S. third‑party testing, include certifications that domestic supply is sufficient, and keep China-bound volumes to no more than 50% of U.S. shipments.
  • Beijing has told some tech firms purchases will be allowed only in "special circumstances," such as university research, leaving eligibility and demand uncertain.
  • Nvidia publicly denied it requires full upfront payment from Chinese buyers, saying it would never ask customers to pay for products they do not receive.
  • Chinese companies have reportedly ordered over 2 million H200 chips priced around $27,000 each, far exceeding Nvidia’s roughly 700,000 units in inventory, with any deliveries contingent on U.S. licenses and Chinese approvals.