US confirms no H200 chip shipments to China amid approval delays

WASHINGTON: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has confirmed that Nvidia’s powerful H200 AI chips have not yet been shipped to China, amid ongoing delays and regulatory hurdles surrounding their approval.

Lutnick said the Chinese government has not allowed domestic firms to purchase the chips so far, as it is prioritising support for its own semiconductor industry. “We have not sold them chips as of yet,” he said, referring to the H200 exports.

The Biden-to-Trump transition policy shift in January had given conditional approval for sales of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China, raising concerns in Washington over potential military use of advanced US technology. However, actual shipments have been stalled due to unresolved issues over export terms in both countries.

Sources say disagreements over compliance and regulatory conditions have further slowed progress on the deals.

Lutnick also addressed the broader debate over tightening export controls, including a potential revival of the “affiliates rule,” which would restrict advanced US technology sales to thousands of Chinese-linked companies. He said the rule is “a smart thing to consider,” but remains part of wider trade negotiations with China.