Nvidia faces major setbacks in China as U.S. export controls tighten on AI chip sales

The U.S. government's decision in April 2025 to impose stricter export controls on advanced semiconductors has delivered a significant blow to Nvidia, compelling the company to obtain licenses for sales of its H20 AI chips to China—one of its largest and most strategically important markets.

The H20 chip, previously engineered to comply with earlier U.S. restrictions while maximizing performance, was Nvidia’s most advanced offering available to Chinese customers. However, under the new rules, even these tailored products require export licenses, severely limiting Nvidia’s ability to operate freely in China.

Following the announcement, Nvidia projected approximately $5.5 billion in charges for its fiscal Q1 2026, prompting a stock drop of up to 7% during subsequent trading sessions. The financial impact underscores how vulnerable the company is to geopolitical shifts, particularly as Washington seeks to curb China’s access to cutting-edge AI technology.

In a bid to retain some market presence, Nvidia is planning to launch a downgraded version of the H20 chip in July 2025, according to Reuters. The new variant will feature significantly reduced memory and modified specifications to comply with the updated U.S. export framework. Despite these efforts, the company’s leadership remains starkly realistic about the toll.

During a keynote at the Computex trade fair in Taipei, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called the restrictions “extremely costly” and “painfully significant,” revealing that the company has already incurred an estimated $15 billion in lost sales due to the ongoing policy shifts.

The evolving situation reflects the growing strategic tension between maintaining access to China’s $17 billion AI chip market and adhering to U.S. national security directives aimed at limiting Beijing’s technological advancement in artificial intelligence. For Nvidia, and other U.S.-based semiconductor firms, navigating this geopolitical minefield has become increasingly complex—balancing profit potential with regulatory compliance in a time of intensifying U.S.-China tech rivalry.

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