Nvidia to resume chip sales to China

Washington changes mind about licences

- TRIPP MICKLE

Three months after shutting down Nvidia's artificial intelligence chip sales to China, the Trump administration has reversed course.

On Monday, the Silicon Valley company said in a blog post that the US government had approved sales of a China-specific AI chip known as the H20. Nvidia will still need licensing approval from the US government to fulfil those orders, but the Trump administration “has assured Nvidia that licences will be granted,” the company said.

The decision came after Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, met Thursday with President Donald Trump. Mr Huang has spent months lobbying politicians across Washington to keep China open for AI chip sales. China has the potential to deliver billions of dollars in sales for the world’s most valuable public company, which last week became the first to reach a $4 trillion valuation.

Mr Huang has also visited China several times this year, including a trip to Beijing this week where he was scheduled to give a news conference yesterday.

The Commerce Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.