Trump declines Nvidia’s request to export Blackwell chips to China citing security concerns

Trump Officials Torpedoed Nvidia’s Push to Export AI Chips to China

US President Donald Trump, during his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, chose not to discuss Nvidia’s advanced Blackwell AI chips or the possibility of allowing their sale to China.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had personally urged Trump to approve exports of the company’s new generation of artificial intelligence chips ahead of the October 30 meeting in Busan.

The decision came after top US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, advised Trump against the move, warning that it could endanger national security and bolster China’s artificial intelligence capabilities.

This was seen as as a win for Rubio and others opposing the sale, and a setback for Huang. The Blackwell chips are worth tens of billions of dollars in potential exports and could help Nvidia maintain its influence over China’s AI industry.

A White House spokesperson said, “President Trump listens to a variety of insights on policy matters, including from top business leaders. President Trump’s historic meeting with President Xi proves, however, that the only factor guiding his decision-making is the best interest of the American people.”

At an Nvidia event in Washington held before the meeting, Huang emphasized the importance of China’s AI market, noting that it is home to about half of the world’s AI researchers. “I really hope President Trump will help us find a solution,” Huang said. “Right now we’re in an awkward place.”

Huang continues to push for market access. On the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea, he said, “I don’t know, I hope so someday. I think it's really good for America and it’s really good for China that Nvidia could participate in the Chinese market.”

During Nvidia’s recent GPU Technology Conference, Huang said, “The president has licensed us to ship to China, but China has blocked us from being able to ship to China… They’ve made it very clear that they don’t want Nvidia to be there right now.”

In a recent CBS 60 Minutes interview, President Trump clarified his stance, stating, “We cannot sell them to China. We cannot sell them to other people,” referring to Nvidia’s Blackwell processors.

What are Blackwell chips? 

The Blackwell chips, which power next-generation AI models, are Nvidia’s most advanced processors. Trump’s statement indicates a tougher U.S. stance on restricting China’s access to cutting-edge AI technology. “These are super powerful chips. We’re not going to let them fall into the wrong hands,” he said, according to Reuters.

Nvidia has been awaiting approval to sell a less powerful version of the Blackwell chip in China. In August, Trump said he might allow a version with 30–50% reduced performance. Once approved, Nvidia could develop such a chip within a few months.

Despite this, questions remain about whether the company can sell even downgraded versions in China. Last year, China discouraged companies from buying older Nvidia H20 chips after the U.S. allowed exports under a revenue-sharing condition. Nvidia has since said it hasn’t sold any of those chips in China since April.

(With agency inputs)