U.S. Commerce Department Says Only Tiny Number of NVIDIA H200 Chips Have Been Exported to China

[Financial News] A senior U.S. trade official has said that NVIDIA's advanced H200 chips, the company's flagship AI semiconductors, have begun shipping to China and Hong Kong, but only in very small quantities.
On the 14th local time, CNBC reported that the statement is drawing close attention in the industry because it is the first official confirmation that NVIDIA's AI chip exports to China have resumed, even if only on a limited basis, as the U.S. government has tightly restricted semiconductor shipments to China for security reasons.
Jeffrey Kessler, undersecretary for industry and security at the U.S. Department of Commerce, appeared at a congressional hearing on the day and responded to lawmakers' questions about NVIDIA's export status to China by saying, "To put it simply, actual shipments under export licenses for H200 and chips with comparable performance have been extremely rare. So far, only a very small number of chips have been delivered to China."
Kessler explained that the U.S. government is conducting case-by-case reviews for Chinese companies seeking to import H200 chips. Companies applying for licenses must meet strict U.S. national security requirements and are also subject to on-site inspections and audits to verify that the delivered chips are being used in accordance with regulations.
He added, "There are clearly cases in which export licenses were denied because applicants failed to meet the requirements," underscoring the tight controls in place.
The resumption of exports is a follow-up measure tied to the terms of a deal mentioned by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Last December, Trump said the U.S. government would allow sales of NVIDIA's H200 AI chips to China, while collecting a 25% fee from the sales proceeds. Despite concerns that the chips could be diverted for military use, the U.S. administration began issuing related export licenses earlier this year.
The H200 approved for export is based on NVIDIA's previous-generation Hopper architecture. It is a step below the latest Blackwell chips, which U.S. tech companies are now widely deploying to build out infrastructure.
A NVIDIA spokesperson declined to comment on the Commerce Department's announcement.
CNBC said the news of the H200 export resumption could become a major positive catalyst that further lifts NVIDIA's revenue and stock price.
A semiconductor industry source said, "Chinese companies may hesitate to import the chips because of the strict restrictions, but if they cannot secure NVIDIA chips, they face the dilemma of having to train AI models on domestic alternatives that are far less capable."

jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-jun Reporter