The US Department of Commerce is preparing to approve exports of Nvidia’s H200 chip to China, according to a Semafor report citing a source with knowledge of the plan. The move marks a major win for Nvidia $NVDA ( ▲ 3.74% ) , which has pushed hard to preserve access to one of its most important markets. Shares jumped on the news.
China had previously blocked imports of lower tier chips like Nvidia’s H20, while lawmakers in Washington raised concerns about sending a top tier AI processor to a strategic rival. The H200 is considered one of the most defining chips of the AI era, and its export status has been closely watched across the industry.
Despite restrictions, China’s domestic AI efforts have continued to advance. Companies including DeepSeek and Alibaba have developed models capable of competing globally, highlighting how rapidly the country’s tech ecosystem is moving even under tighter controls.