Nvidia H200 chips reach China despite Beijing push to limit imports, FT reports

Small batches of Nvidia's ↘ 2.34% H200 chips, among the company's most powerful AI processors, have entered mainland China, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.reuters

ByteDance and Tencent have each received approximately 10,000 H200 processors in recent weeks, while a few other Chinese technology firms could soon secure similar-sized shipments, according to the report.investing+1

U.S. Approvals Versus Beijing's Preferences

Although the U.S. has cleared the companies to purchase up to 100,000 H200 chips each, Beijing wants them to keep the hardware outside mainland China to support the growth of domestic chipmakers, according to the Financial Times. Chinese regulators have told companies they can ship the processors to Hong Kong, which operates outside mainland China's customs border, and use them there.investing+1

The shipments represent a fraction of what has been authorized under U.S. export controls and highlight the tension between Washington's willingness to permit limited sales and Beijing's desire to nurture homegrown alternatives.

Broader Context

Last month, a top U.S. official told Congress that a small number of Nvidia H200 chips had been shipped to China. The latest report provides the first details on which companies received chips and in what quantities.reuters

Nvidia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the Financial Times report.reuters