China Freezes NVIDIA H200 Deals With 10 Firms After US Export Approval
Updated
Updated · Simply Wall St · May 17
China Freezes NVIDIA H200 Deals With 10 Firms After US Export Approval
9 articles · Updated · Simply Wall St · May 17
Chinese authorities told local companies not to proceed with NVIDIA H200 purchases, halting deals that had just won US export approval.
About 10 major Chinese technology companies were cleared by US regulators to buy the AI chips in recent days, but Beijing's instruction stopped those orders from moving forward.
Jensen Huang joined President Trump on a Beijing trade delegation around the same time, lifting expectations for progress that still has not produced sales.
The standoff leaves NVIDIA's access to one of the largest AI markets uncertain and underscores how US licensing and Chinese policy can diverge even after high-level engagement.
Are US chip controls accidentally creating a more powerful Chinese tech rival?
Can NVIDIA's global 'sovereign AI' bet offset its massive losses in China?
As China controls critical minerals, who truly holds the upper hand in the AI tech war?
U.S. Approves, China Blocks: The $50 Billion Nvidia H200 Deal That Never Happened
Overview
As of mid-May 2026, despite U.S. approval for major Chinese tech firms to buy Nvidia H200 AI chips, Beijing has blocked these purchases to focus investment on domestic industry and achieve technological self-sufficiency. This freeze, driven by China’s strategic shift towards developing its own AI chips in response to U.S. export rules, has left Nvidia unable to deliver chips and caused its market share in China to plummet from 95% to zero. The unfulfilled deal not only impacts Nvidia’s revenue but also reshapes the global AI chip market and intensifies the U.S.-China technology rivalry.