Jensen Huang says Nvidia’s H200 sales to China now depend on Beijing’s approval

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says shipments of the H200 AI chip to China are awaiting a final decision from Chinese authorities.

• Nvidia awaits Chinese government approval to sell H200 AI chips in China
• Nvidia H200 US export license nearly complete, pending Beijing's approval
• Major Chinese firms cleared to buy H200, but conditions may be strict

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has offered fresh clarity on the status of the company’s H200 AI chip sales to China, saying the final decision now rests with the Chinese government. Speaking to reporters at Taipei’s Songshan Airport after a visit to the Chinese mainland, Huang said that while the United States has already approved the export licence, Nvidia is still waiting for Beijing to formally allow domestic companies to import the silicon.

According to Huang, the export licence process on the US side is nearing completion. However, he stressed that Chinese authorities must still give their consent before any shipments can move forward. He described the H200 as a product that benefits both sides, arguing that it supports American technology leadership while also meeting strong demand from Chinese AI customers.

Huang said he was hopeful of a positive outcome and suggested that Chinese firms are keen to get access to the chip. He added that Nvidia is prepared to wait patiently for a final decision, noting that the company sees the H200 as a commercially and strategically sound product for both markets.

The H200 has been at the centre of ongoing US-China technology tensions, particularly around advanced AI hardware. Nvidia has repeatedly redesigned or repositioned its products to comply with US export controls, while still attempting to maintain a presence in China, which remains one of the world’s largest AI markets.

Recent reports have claimed that several major Chinese technology companies have received conditional approval to buy large quantities of H200 chips. Firms such as ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent are said to have been cleared, in principle, to purchase more than 400,000 units combined. However, those reports also suggested that the attached conditions may be too restrictive to translate into binding purchase orders.

Huang said Nvidia has not been informed of any such conditional approvals. He also emphasised that China has a growing number of domestic chipmakers, meaning Nvidia cannot take demand for granted. According to Huang, competition in the Chinese market remains intense, and Nvidia must continue to earn orders rather than assume access.

He added that securing actual customer orders is the first priority, noting that Nvidia already has supply in place to support its existing global customers. If approval for the H200 does come through, Huang said the company will move quickly to ramp up deliveries.

On the manufacturing side, Huang addressed concerns around packaging and production capacity. He said that Nvidia would coordinate closely with TSMC to plan and schedule output if H200 shipments to China are approved. According to Huang, Nvidia is confident it can work with its manufacturing partners to deliver the chips as fast as possible once the regulatory path is clear.

The comments underline the delicate balancing act Nvidia continues to face. China remains a critical market for AI accelerators, but regulatory uncertainty and geopolitical friction make long-term planning difficult. While US approval removes one major obstacle, Beijing’s decision will ultimately determine whether the H200 becomes another bridge between the two AI ecosystems or another casualty of ongoing trade restrictions.