# US Export Controls on Nvidia AI Chips to China: A100 to H20 to H200

- URL: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls
- Topic: Tech industry · Tags: Tech industry, Export controls, Nvidia, US-China
- Updated: Sep 9, 2026 · 28 dated entries

## Summary

The United States first imposed an immediate license requirement on Nvidia’s A100 and H100 exports to China in August 2022, then converted and broadened the restrictions through BIS rules in October 2022 and October 2023. Nvidia responded with China-specific A800, H800 and then H20 products, but the H20 also became subject to licensing in April 2025, leading to a $4.5 billion charge and lost sales. Washington later allowed limited H20 and H200 exports under licenses and revenue-sharing arrangements, while Chinese authorities raised H20 security concerns, discouraged or restricted Nvidia purchases, and advanced an antitrust case. By August 2026, Nvidia said Beijing had restricted even licensed H200 sales, it had shipped only a fraction of permitted units, taken a $0.4 billion H200 charge, and excluded China data-center compute revenue from its outlook; the central question is whether U.S. approvals can translate into meaningful sales while China’s own restrictions remain in place.

## Key moments

- Aug 26, 2022: US imposes a license requirement on Nvidia A100 and H100 exports to China
- Oct 7, 2022: BIS publishes the October 2022 rules on advanced computing chips and chipmaking tools for China
- Oct 17, 2023: BIS tightens the chip rules, dropping the interconnect-bandwidth test that A800 and H800 were built around
- Apr 9, 2025: US requires a license for H20 exports to China; Nvidia flags up to US$5.5 billion in charges
- May 28, 2025: Nvidia takes a US$4.5 billion H20 charge, loses US$2.5 billion in shipments, expects US$8 billion hit next quarter
- Jul 14, 2025: Nvidia says the US has assured it H20 licenses will be granted and sales to China will resume
- Jul 31, 2025: China's cyberspace regulator summons Nvidia over alleged H20 backdoor risks
- Aug 12, 2025: Chinese authorities discourage use of H20 in government and security-related work
- Sep 15, 2025: China's SAMR says a preliminary probe found Nvidia violated the Anti-Monopoly Law
- Dec 8, 2025: Trump allows H200 sales to approved Chinese customers with a 25 percent cut for the US
- Jan 13, 2026: BIS moves H200 and MI325X exports to China to case-by-case review with security conditions
- Aug 26, 2026: Nvidia writes down US$0.4 billion of H200 inventory; says Beijing restricted licensed sales

## Charges tied to China export limits

| Date | Value | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2025 | $5.5B | US requires a license for H20 exports to China; Nvidia flags up to US$5.5 billion in charges |
| May 28, 2025 | $4.5B | Nvidia takes a US$4.5 billion H20 charge, loses US$2.5 billion in shipments, expects US$8 billion hit next quarter |
| Aug 26, 2026 | $0.4B | Nvidia writes down US$0.4 billion of H200 inventory; says Beijing restricted licensed sales |

## Timeline (newest first)

### Aug 26, 2026 — Nvidia writes down US$0.4 billion of H200 inventory; says Beijing restricted licensed sales

In its second-quarter fiscal 2027 Form 10-Q, Nvidia said it took a US$0.4 billion charge in the first half of the year for excess H200 inventory and purchase obligations as demand diminished, that the Chinese government had restricted sales of H200 units it was licensed to ship, and that it had made only a fraction of the allowed shipments.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n69 (Financial)
- Source: Nvidia Form 10-Q · Aug 26, 2026 · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581026000075/nvda-20260726.htm — "During the first half of fiscal year 2027, we incurred a $0.4 billion charge associated with H200 for excess inventory and purchase obligations, as the demand for H200 products diminished."
- Source: Nvidia Form 10-Q · Aug 26, 2026 · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581026000075/nvda-20260726.htm — "After incurring that charge, we have made a fraction of the allowed shipments under the USG’s H200 licensing program."
- Editor's note: Sentences confirmed in the Form 10-Q fetched directly from EDGAR.

### Aug 26, 2026 — Nvidia excludes China data center compute revenue from its outlook

Nvidia said it was not assuming Data Center compute revenue from China in its outlook. The company issued the outlook with its second-quarter fiscal 2027 results.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n67 (Financial)
- Source: Nvidia Newsroom · Aug 26, 2026 · https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-announces-financial-results-for-second-quarter-fiscal-2027 — "NVIDIA is not assuming any Data Center compute revenue from China in its outlook."
- Editor's note: The page is dated August 26, 2026 and reports NVIDIA’s second-quarter fiscal 2027 results. Its outlook explicitly states that NVIDIA is not assuming any Data Center compute revenue from China.

### Aug 2026 — Reuters says it could not verify a report of H200 shipments into China

Reuters said it could not immediately verify a report that H200 chips had reached China in small shipments. The report was attributed to the Financial Times and people with knowledge of the matter.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n66 (Report)
- Source: Reuters via Yahoo Finance · Aug 18, 2026 · https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/nvidia-h200-chips-reach-china-021726633.html — "Reuters could not immediately verify the report."
- Editor's note: The article states that the Financial Times reported small H200 shipments had entered mainland China, citing two people with knowledge, and says Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The page is dated August 19, 2026, which matches the stated month.

### Jul 26, 2026 — Nvidia reports China Hopper shipments were under 1% of data center revenue

Nvidia reported that Data Center Hopper shipments to China were less than 1% of Data Center revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2027. The quarter ended July 26, 2026.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n65 (Financial)
- Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Nvidia Form 10-Q · Aug 21, 2026 · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581026000075/nvda-20260726.htm — "Shipments of Data Center Hopper products to China during the second quarter of fiscal year 2027 were less than 1% of Data Center revenue."
- Editor's note: Quote confirmed in the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 26, 2026 (fetched directly from EDGAR).

### Jul 14, 2026 — US official says limited H200 shipments to China have begun

BIS Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler told Congress that H200 chips had been shipped to China or Hong Kong. He said the number of chips shipped to date was very few.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n64 (Shipment)
- Source: Reuters via Yahoo Finance · Jul 14, 2026 · https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/us-official-says-shipments-h200-145442006.html — "A top U.S. official told Congress on Tuesday that "very few" Nvidia H200 chips to date have been shipped to China or Hong Kong."
- Editor's note: The page states that Commerce Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler told a House committee that H200 shipments to China or Hong Kong had begun and that the number shipped was "very few." It is dated July 14, 2026, matching the node date.

### May 2026 — Reuters reports US approval of H200 sales to about 10 Chinese firms

Reuters reported that the United States had cleared roughly 10 Chinese companies to buy H200 chips. The report said deals had stalled and deliveries had not begun.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n63 (Report)
- Source: Reuters via Yahoo Finance · May 14, 2026 · https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/exclusive-us-clears-h200-chip-054811582.html — "Despite U.S. approval, deals have stalled, as Chinese firms pulled back after guidance from Beijing, one source said."
- Editor's note: The Reuters article is dated May 14, 2026 and states that the U.S. cleared around 10 Chinese firms to buy H200 chips. It also says no deliveries had been made and includes the quoted sentence.

### Mar 17, 2026 — Huang says Nvidia is licensed for many Chinese H200 customers, has orders, and is restarting production

Speaking to press at GTC 2026, Jensen Huang said Nvidia had been licensed for many customers in China for H200, had received purchase orders from many of them, and was restarting H200 manufacturing.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n68 (Announcement)
- Source: The Register · Mar 17, 2026 · https://theregister.com/2026/03/17/nvidia_h200_china_sales_resume — "We've been licensed for many customers in China for H200. We have received purchase orders from many customers and we are in the process of restarting our manufacturing"
- Editor's note: Quote confirmed on The Register's March 17, 2026 report.

### Feb 2026 — US grants Nvidia a license for small H200 shipments to China

The U.S. government granted Nvidia a license to ship small amounts of H200 products to specified China-based customers. Nvidia said the license required U.S. inspection before shipment.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n62 (Regulatory)
- Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Nvidia Form 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581026000021/nvda-20260125.htm — "In February 2026, the USG granted a license that would allow us to ship small amounts of H200 products to specific China-based customers."
- Editor's note: The filing states that in February 2026 the USG granted NVIDIA a license to ship small amounts of H200 products to specified China-based customers. It also states that the license was subject to USG inspection before shipment.

### Jan 13, 2026 — BIS moves H200 and MI325X exports to China to case-by-case review with security conditions

BIS revised its license review policy so that applications to export Nvidia H200, AMD MI325X and similar
chips to China are reviewed case by case if the exporter shows no reduction in capacity for U.S.
customers, the Chinese buyer has export-compliance screening, and the product passed independent
third-party testing in the United States. The rule took effect on publication.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n59 (Regulatory)
- Source: Bureau of Industry and Security · Jan 13, 2026 · https://www.bis.gov/press-release/department-commerce-revises-license-review-policy-semiconductors-exported-china — "BIS will now review export license applications for the Nvidia H200, AMD MI325X, and similar chips on a case-by-case basis provided certain security requirements are met."

### Dec 8, 2025 — Trump allows H200 sales to approved Chinese customers with a 25 percent cut for the US

The Trump administration reversed course and said Nvidia could sell its H200 to approved commercial
customers in China vetted by the Commerce Department, with 25 percent of the revenue going to the U.S.
government. Nvidia welcomed the decision.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n58 (Regulatory)
- Source: The Register · Dec 9, 2025 · https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/09/nvidia_h200s_china_ai — "Offering H200 to approved commercial customers, vetted by the Department of Commerce, strikes a thoughtful balance that is great for America."

### Sep 17, 2025 — Beijing orders Alibaba, ByteDance and others not to buy Nvidia's RTX Pro 6000D

The Financial Times reported, and The Register relayed, that the Cyberspace Administration of China had
ordered Alibaba, ByteDance and other companies not to order Nvidia's China-specific RTX Pro 6000D
Blackwell GPU.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n57 (Regulatory)
- Source: The Register · Sep 18, 2025 · https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/18/nvidia_china_ai_ban/ — "China's Cyberspace Administration ordered Alibaba, ByteDance, and unnamed others not to order Nvidia's RTX Pro 6000D Blackwell GPUs, unnamed sources familiar with the matter told the Financial Times this week."
- Editor's note: The order's exact date is not public; the FT report ran on September 17 and The Register's on September 18.

### Sep 15, 2025 — China's SAMR says a preliminary probe found Nvidia violated the Anti-Monopoly Law

The State Administration for Market Regulation said its preliminary investigation found Nvidia had
violated China's Anti-Monopoly Law and the conditions attached to its 2020 approval of the Mellanox
acquisition, and escalated the case to a formal investigation.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n56 (Legal)
- Source: The Register · Sep 15, 2025 · https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/15/china_nvidia_antitrust/ — "Recently, after preliminary investigation, Nvidia violated the Anti-Monopoly Law of the People's Republic of China."

### Aug 27, 2025 — No H20 sales to China in the quarter; Nvidia assumes none in its outlook

Second-quarter fiscal 2026 results showed no H20 sales to China-based customers, a US$180 million release
of previously reserved H20 inventory tied to about US$650 million of sales to a customer outside China,
and a third-quarter outlook that assumed no H20 shipments to China.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n55 (Financial)
- Source: Nvidia Newsroom · Aug 27, 2025 · https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-announces-financial-results-for-second-quarter-fiscal-2026 — "There were no H20 sales to China-based customers in the second quarter."

### Aug 12, 2025 — Chinese authorities discourage use of H20 in government and security-related work

Chinese authorities sent letters to companies discouraging use of Nvidia's H20 for AI work, particularly
by firms involved in government or national security-related projects, days after the U.S. cleared the
chip for export again.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n54 (Regulatory)
- Source: The Register · Aug 12, 2025 · https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/12/china_nvidia_h20/ — "Chinese authorities have sent letters to several firms discouraging the use of Nvidia's H20 GPUs for AI applications, particularly by those involved in government or national security-related work."

### Aug 11, 2025 — Nvidia and AMD to pay the US government 15 percent of H20 and MI308 revenue from China

Reports, first from the Financial Times, said Nvidia and AMD had agreed to hand the U.S. government 15
percent of revenue from H20 and MI308 sales in China as the condition for export licenses. The Register
described the arrangement as revealed that week; President Trump confirmed the terms publicly.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n53 (Report)
- Source: The Register · Aug 12, 2025 · https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/12/china_nvidia_h20/ — "This deal, it was revealed this week, involved cutting Uncle Sam a check for 15 percent of H20 and MI308 revenues."
- Editor's note: The deal was reported on August 10 and confirmed on August 11; The Register's write-up is dated August 12.

### Aug 2025 — US grants Nvidia licenses for certain H20 shipments to China

The U.S. government granted Nvidia licenses to ship certain H20 products to certain China-based customers. Nvidia later reported about $60 million in H20 revenue under those licenses.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n61 (Regulatory)
- Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Nvidia Form 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581026000021/nvda-20260125.htm — "In August 2025, the USG granted licenses that would allow us to ship certain H20 products to certain China-based customers."
- Editor's note: The filing states that in August 2025 the U.S. government granted licenses for certain H20 shipments to certain China-based customers. It also reports approximately $60 million in H20 revenue under those licenses.

### Jul 31, 2025 — China's cyberspace regulator summons Nvidia over alleged H20 backdoor risks

The Cyberspace Administration of China said it had interviewed Nvidia and asked it to explain security
risks from backdoor vulnerabilities in H20 chips sold to China and to submit supporting material. Nvidia
said its chips have no backdoors that would allow remote access or control.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n52 (Regulatory)
- Source: The Register · Jul 31, 2025 · https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/31/beijing_nvidia_backdoors/ — "In order to maintain the network security and data security of Chinese users, the State Internet Information Office interviewed Nvidia on July 31, 2025, and asked Nvidia to explain the security risks of the backdoor vulnerabilities in the H20 chips sold to China and submit relevant supporting materials."

### Jul 14, 2025 — Nvidia says the US has assured it H20 licenses will be granted and sales to China will resume

After Jensen Huang met officials in Washington and travelled to Beijing, Nvidia said the U.S. government
had assured it that H20 export licenses would be granted and that it hoped to start deliveries soon. It
also announced an RTX Pro GPU aimed at the China market.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n51 (Announcement)
- Source: Nvidia Blog · Jul 14, 2025 · https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-ceo-promotes-ai-in-dc-and-china/ — "The U.S. government has assured NVIDIA that licenses will be granted, and NVIDIA hopes to start deliveries soon."

### May 28, 2025 — Nvidia takes a US$4.5 billion H20 charge, loses US$2.5 billion in shipments, expects US$8 billion hit next quarter

In first-quarter fiscal 2026 results Nvidia recorded a US$4.5 billion charge for H20 excess inventory and
purchase obligations, said it could not ship a further US$2.5 billion of H20 revenue, and guided
second-quarter revenue of US$45 billion reflecting about US$8 billion of lost H20 revenue.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n50 (Financial)
- Source: Nvidia Newsroom · May 28, 2025 · https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-announces-financial-results-for-first-quarter-fiscal-2026 — "NVIDIA incurred a $4.5 billion charge in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 associated with H20 excess inventory and purchase obligations as the demand for H20 diminished."

### May 13, 2025 — Commerce rescinds the AI Diffusion rule and issues new chip guidance

The Department of Commerce announced the rescission of the Biden-era AI Diffusion rule two days before
its compliance date, alongside guidance on the risks of using Chinese advanced computing chips, including
specific Huawei Ascend parts, and on preventing diversion of U.S. chips.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n49 (Regulatory)
- Source: Bureau of Industry and Security · May 13, 2025 · https://www.bis.gov/press-release/department-commerce-announces-rescission-biden-era-artificial-intelligence-diffusion-rule-strengthens — "Today, the Department of Commerce (DOC) announced a rescission of the Biden Administration's AI Diffusion Rule, while rolling out additional steps to strengthen export controls on semiconductors worldwide."

### Apr 9, 2025 — US requires a license for H20 exports to China; Nvidia flags up to US$5.5 billion in charges

Nvidia disclosed that on April 9 the government required a license for exports of H20 and any chip with
its memory or interconnect bandwidth to China, Hong Kong, Macau and D:5 countries, and on April 14 said
the requirement would apply indefinitely. Nvidia expected up to about US$5.5 billion of first-quarter
charges for H20 inventory, purchase commitments and reserves.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n48 (Regulatory)
- Source: Nvidia Form 8-K · Apr 15, 2025 · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581025000082/nvda-20250409.htm — "On April 9, 2025, the U.S. government, or USG, informed NVIDIA Corporation, or the Company, that the USG requires a license for export to China (including Hong Kong and Macau) and D:5 countries, or to companies headquartered or with an ultimate parent therein, of the Company’s H20 integrated circuits and any other circuits achieving the H20’s memory bandwidth, interconnect bandwidth, or combination thereof."

### Jan 13, 2025 — Biden administration issues the AI Diffusion framework with worldwide chip allocations

BIS announced controls on advanced computing chips and certain closed AI model weights, with country
allocations under which license applications were reviewed with a presumption of approval up to a quota
and arms-embargoed countries such as China faced a presumption of denial regardless of quantity.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n47 (Regulatory)
- Source: Bureau of Industry and Security · Jan 13, 2025 · https://www.bis.gov/press-release/biden-harris-administration-announces-regulatory-framework-responsible-diffusion-advanced-artificial — "Today, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced controls on advanced computing chips and certain closed artificial intelligence (AI) model weights, alongside new license exceptions and updates to the Data Center Validated End User (VEU) authorization."

### Dec 9, 2024 — China opens an antitrust investigation into Nvidia

China's State Administration for Market Regulation opened an investigation into Nvidia. The investigation concerned suspected Anti-Monopoly Law violations and conditions attached to approval of Nvidia's Mellanox acquisition.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n60 (Regulatory)
- Source: State Administration for Market Regulation (Chinese) · Dec 9, 2024 · https://www.samr.gov.cn/xw/zj/art/2024/art_ed4d3090401741a0894e475d35db652b.html — "市场监管总局依法决定立案调查"
- Source: The Register · Dec 9, 2024 · https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/09/nvidia_antitrust_probe_china/ — "In recent days, due to Nvidia's suspected violation of China's anti-monopoly law and the State Administration for Market Regulation's restrictive conditions around Nvidia's acquisition of Mellanox shares ... the State Administration for Market Regulation is opening a probe into Nvidia in accordance with law."
- Editor's note: The page states that SAMR opened a case investigation into Nvidia for suspected violations of the Anti-Monopoly Law and the conditions attached to approval of its Mellanox acquisition. It is published on 2024-12-09 at 19:30.

### Nov 9, 2023 — Reports say Nvidia is preparing H20, L20 and L2 chips that fit under the new China limits

The Register, citing Chinese outlet Chinastarmarket and supply chain sources, reported that Nvidia was
working on three GPUs for China, the H20, L20 and L2, engineered to stay below the performance thresholds
in the October 2023 rules, with an announcement possible as early as November 16.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n46 (Report)
- Source: The Register · Nov 9, 2023 · https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/09/nvidia_china_gpu/ — "According to Chinastarmarket, which cites supply chain sources, the GPUs include the H20, L20, and L2, and could be announced as early as November 16"

### Oct 23, 2023 — US makes the new licensing requirements effective immediately for Nvidia's data center parts

Nvidia disclosed that the government had told it the October 2023 licensing requirements for products
with a total processing performance of 4800 or more, designed for data centers, were effective
immediately rather than after the planned 30-day period, affecting A100, A800, H100, H800 and L40S
shipments.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n45 (Regulatory)
- Source: Nvidia Form 8-K · Oct 24, 2023 · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581023000221/nvda-20231023.htm — "These licensing requirements were originally to be effective after a 30-day period, as first described in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 17, 2023."

### Oct 17, 2023 — BIS tightens the chip rules, dropping the interconnect-bandwidth test that A800 and H800 were built around

BIS released updated rules on advanced computing chips and chipmaking equipment. Among the changes it
removed interconnect bandwidth as a parameter for identifying restricted chips, which brought Nvidia's
China-specific A800 and H800 within the controls, and extended license requirements to more countries.
Nvidia's same-day filing listed A100, A800, H100, H800, L40, L40S and RTX 4090 as covered.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n44 (Regulatory)
- Source: Bureau of Industry and Security · Oct 17, 2023 · https://www.bis.gov/press-release/commerce-strengthens-restrictions-advanced-computing-semiconductors-semiconductor-manufacturing-equipment — "Based on public comments, recent technological developments, and analysis of the prior rule's national security impact, the AC/S IFR removes 'interconnect bandwidth' as a parameter for identifying restricted chips."

### Oct 7, 2022 — BIS publishes the October 2022 rules on advanced computing chips and chipmaking tools for China

The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a package of export controls restricting advanced computing
chips, supercomputer and semiconductor end uses, and chipmaking equipment for China. The advanced
computing and supercomputer controls took effect on October 21, 2022, turning the company-specific
August letter into a general rule.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n43 (Regulatory)
- Source: Bureau of Industry and Security · Oct 7, 2022 · https://www.bis.gov/press-release/commerce-implements-new-export-controls-advanced-computing-semiconductor-manufacturing-items-peoples — "The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is implementing a series of targeted updates to its export controls as part of BIS's ongoing efforts to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests."

### Aug 26, 2022 — US imposes a license requirement on Nvidia A100 and H100 exports to China

Nvidia disclosed that the U.S. government had imposed, effective immediately, a license requirement for
exports of its A100 and forthcoming H100 chips to China, including Hong Kong, and Russia, along with
systems containing them and any future chip at A100-level performance. Nvidia said it did not sell to
Russia and that the rule could affect H100 development and A100 support.

- Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-china-export-controls#n42 (Regulatory)
- Source: Nvidia Form 8-K · Aug 31, 2022 · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581022000146/nvda-20220826.htm — "On August 26, 2022, the U.S. government, or USG, informed NVIDIA Corporation, or the Company, that the USG has imposed a new license requirement, effective immediately, for any future export to China (including Hong Kong) and Russia of the Company’s A100 and forthcoming H100 integrated circuits."

## Cause and effect

- BIS tightens the chip rules, dropping the interconnect-bandwidth test that A800 and H800 were built around led to Reports say Nvidia is preparing H20, L20 and L2 chips that fit under the new China limits (New thresholds prompted a third round of China-specific parts, including H20.)
- US requires a license for H20 exports to China; Nvidia flags up to US$5.5 billion in charges led to Nvidia takes a US$4.5 billion H20 charge, loses US$2.5 billion in shipments, expects US$8 billion hit next quarter (The license requirement produced the write-down and lost shipments reported in May.)
- Nvidia says the US has assured it H20 licenses will be granted and sales to China will resume was answered by China's cyberspace regulator summons Nvidia over alleged H20 backdoor risks (Beijing's security summons came seventeen days after the US cleared H20 sales.)
- Nvidia says the US has assured it H20 licenses will be granted and sales to China will resume is contradicted by No H20 sales to China in the quarter; Nvidia assumes none in its outlook (Nvidia hoped to start deliveries soon, yet recorded no China H20 sales that quarter and assumed none ahead.)
- Biden administration issues the AI Diffusion framework with worldwide chip allocations is contradicted by Commerce rescinds the AI Diffusion rule and issues new chip guidance (The worldwide allocation framework was rescinded before it took effect.)
- Huang says Nvidia is licensed for many Chinese H200 customers, has orders, and is restarting production is contradicted by Nvidia writes down US$0.4 billion of H200 inventory; says Beijing restricted licensed sales (In March Nvidia said it was restarting H200 production on Chinese orders; by August it had written down H200 stock and shipped a fraction of what was licensed.)
- China's SAMR clears Mellanox with conditions after a year-long review [on https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-acquisitions#n674] led to China opens an antitrust investigation into Nvidia (SAMR's 2020 approval imposed conditions on Nvidia's Mellanox acquisition, and its later investigation concerned suspected violations of those approval conditions.)
- China opens an antitrust investigation into Nvidia led to China says Nvidia violated its antimonopoly law over the Mellanox conditions [on https://whatledto.com/events/nvidia-acquisitions#n686] (SAMR opened an investigation into suspected violations of the Mellanox-approval conditions, and the later preliminary finding said Nvidia had violated the law and those conditions.)
- Nvidia says the US has assured it H20 licenses will be granted and sales to China will resume led to Commerce will resume reviewing MI308 licenses; AMD says shipments will restart once approved [on https://whatledto.com/events/amd-china-export-controls#n557] (After Nvidia said the U.S. had assured it that H20 licenses would be granted, AMD said the next day that Commerce would resume reviewing MI308 license applications.)
- Trump allows H200 sales to approved Chinese customers with a 25 percent cut for the US led to BIS moves the MI325X, alongside Nvidia's H200, to case-by-case review with security conditions [on https://whatledto.com/events/amd-china-export-controls#n564] (BIS moved the MI325X to case-by-case review following Trump's December 8 decision to permit H200-class sales to approved Chinese customers.)
- BIS moves H200 and MI325X exports to China to case-by-case review with security conditions led to AMD receives some MI325 licenses for China, with a US inspection and a 25 percent tariff on the round trip [on https://whatledto.com/events/amd-china-export-controls#n567] (AMD said its February MI325 licenses were granted under the January policy that put MI325X exports to China under case-by-case review with U.S. inspection conditions.)

## Where sources disagree or fall silent

- Whether China will permit broader use of H200 chips that Nvidia is licensed by the United States to ship, after Nvidia said Beijing had restricted licensed sales.
- Whether the limited H200 approvals and reported initial shipments will become sustained deliveries; Reuters reported in May that approved deals had stalled, while a U.S. official said in July that very few chips had shipped.
- What remedy, penalty, or other outcome will result from SAMR’s formal antitrust investigation into Nvidia and the Mellanox-approval conditions.
- Whether the U.S. revenue-sharing terms reported for H20 sales and announced for H200 sales will support material China revenue, given Nvidia’s August 2026 outlook excluded China data-center compute revenue.

## What to watch next

- Nov 30, 2026: NVIDIA GTC Washington, D.C. begins — The scheduled conference could provide public updates on H200 licensing, Chinese restrictions, and Nvidia’s China data-center sales plans. (https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/dc/)
- Mar 14, 2027: NVIDIA GTC 2027 in San Jose begins — Nvidia’s flagship conference may provide a further management update on China data-center restrictions and licensed H200 shipments. (https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/faq/)

## Who is involved

- Nvidia (company): The chip supplier whose China data-center GPU sales have repeatedly been restricted by both U.S. export controls and Chinese actions.
- H200 (product): A higher-end Nvidia Hopper GPU that the U.S. moved to case-by-case China license review in January 2026; licensed sales were later constrained by China.
- H20 (product): Nvidia’s China-specific Hopper GPU, which was licensed in April 2025, later received limited approvals, and faced Chinese security and procurement pressure.
- Bureau of Industry and Security (regulator): Commerce bureau that issued the 2022 and 2023 controls and set the January 2026 case-by-case review policy for H200-class exports to China.
- U.S. government (regulator): Authority that granted Nvidia licenses for H20 and H200 shipments.
- ByteDance (company): One of the Chinese companies reportedly ordered not to buy Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000D.
- Cyberspace Administration of China (regulator): Chinese internet regulator that questioned Nvidia over alleged H20 backdoor risks and reportedly ordered companies not to buy RTX Pro 6000D chips.
- Alibaba (company): One of the Chinese companies reportedly ordered not to buy Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000D.
- AMD (company): Its MI308 and MI325X chips were covered alongside Nvidia products in the U.S. revenue-sharing and H200-class licensing actions.
- Donald Trump (person): President whose administration announced in December 2025 that approved Chinese customers could buy H200 chips under a revenue-sharing arrangement.
- Jensen Huang (person): Nvidia’s chief executive, who sought U.S. license approvals and said in March 2026 that Nvidia was restarting H200 production for licensed Chinese customers.
- State Administration for Market Regulation (regulator): Chinese antitrust regulator that opened and later escalated an investigation into Nvidia over alleged competition-law and Mellanox-approval violations.
- Tencent (company): Chinese company named in reports concerning approved H200 purchases and reported receipts.
- U.S. Department of Commerce (regulator): Department responsible for the export-control actions and later licensing decisions affecting Nvidia and AMD chips.
- Chinese regulators (regulator): Authorities reported to have given direction about where H200 hardware should be used.
- Financial Times (other): Publication attributed as the source of the H200 shipment report that Reuters said it could not verify.
- Foxconn (company): Company reported to have been approved as an H200 distributor.
- Huawei (company): Its Ascend parts were named in Commerce guidance on the risks of using Chinese advanced computing chips.
- JD.com (company): Chinese company named in the Reuters report as an approved H200 buyer.
- Jeffrey Kessler (person): BIS under secretary who told Congress that very few H200 chips had shipped.
- Lenovo (company): Company reported to have been approved to sell H200 chips in China.
- Mellanox (company): The company Nvidia acquired; conditions attached to China’s approval of that deal are part of SAMR’s antitrust case.

## Changelog

- Sep 9, 2026: Linked 2 entries with Nvidia's Dealmaking: From Mellanox and the Failed Arm Bid to Groq and Hugging Face.
- Sep 9, 2026: Linked 3 entries with US Export Controls on AMD's AI Chips in China: From the MI250 License to MI308 and MI325X.
- Sep 7, 2026: Chart data refreshed: 3 point(s) across 1 metric(s).
- Sep 7, 2026: Summary, key players and catalysts refreshed.
- Sep 7, 2026: Research run found 1 candidate node(s).
- Sep 2, 2026: Summary, key players and catalysts refreshed.
- Sep 2, 2026: Added 10 node(s): 2024-12-09 China opens an antitrust investigation into Nvidia; 2025-08 US grants Nvidia licenses for certain H20 shipments to China; 2026-02 US grants Nvidia a license for small H200 shipments to China; 2026-03-17 Huang says Nvidia is licensed for many Chinese H200 customers, has orders, and is restarting production and 6 more.
- Sep 2, 2026: Research run found 8 candidate node(s).
- Sep 2, 2026: Seeded 18 hand-verified node(s) from nvidia-china-export-controls.yaml.

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