Will Trump let Nvidia sell H200 AI chips to China? Lutnick says 'decision sits right on his desk'

US President Donald Trump is considering whether Nvidia should be permitted to sell advanced artificial intelligence chips to China, with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirming on Monday that the final decision will come from the president. Lutnick said Trump is consulting “lots of different advisers” on the possible exports and added that the president “understands” Chinese President Xi Jinping “the best”.

Bloomberg News reported on Friday that US officials have begun early discussions on whether Nvidia may sell its H200 AI chips to China.

Economic stakes amid security concerns

Lutnick highlighted the competing priorities involved, noting the challenge between driving economic expansion and safeguarding national security. He framed the debate as a choice between selling China “some chips” to keep it reliant on United States technology or withholding “our best chips” and opting to compete independently in the artificial intelligence sector. Allowing H200 sales would represent a marked shift from restrictions first imposed in 2022, which aimed to prevent Beijing and its military from accessing the most powerful United States technologies.

Any move to supply higher-calibre processors to China is expected to draw firm resistance from national-security hawks in Washington, where a number of lawmakers are supporting legislation to block such a step.

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Nvidia’s push to re-enter Chinese market

Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang, who has cultivated a close relationship with Trump and speaks with him frequently, is keen to resume sales to China. Nvidia currently remains excluded from the Chinese market for AI chips after Beijing directed local companies not to purchase the less-advanced H20 chips that Trump approved for sale earlier this year.

Lutnick said Huang has “good reasons” for seeking approval to sell to China and noted that an “enormous number of other people” believe the option should be explored. He said the president has “all the information”, is hearing from “lots and lots of experts”, and will determine the path forward.