U.S. Restricts NVIDIA’s Top AI Chips from China and Other Countries

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that NVIDIA’s most advanced AI chips, the Blackwell series, will be reserved for U.S. companies and will not be sold to China or certain other countries in his recent interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes.

The U.S. has been cautious about letting China access high-performance semiconductors that could accelerate military and technological capabilities. In August, Trump had hinted at allowing a scaled-down version of Blackwell chips to China, but the latest comments appear to close the door on the most powerful versions.

NVIDIA has already been supplying Blackwell chips to select global partners, including companies in South Korea and the UAE, under U.S. export licenses. However, the company has not sought export licenses for China, citing the Chinese government’s restrictions on its operations and the need to maintain U.S.-based research and development.

Blackwell chips are designed for high-performance AI applications, including large-scale machine learning and data center acceleration, making them some of the most sought-after components in the semiconductor market. According to Trump, access to these chips will be limited to maintain U.S. leadership in advanced technology.

As the U.S. moves to keep its most advanced AI hardware within its borders, global AI development and competition are likely to face new challenges and may accelerate efforts by other countries to strengthen their domestic AI chip capabilities.