Trump Considers Nvidia Selling Scaled-Back Blackwell AI Chips to China
Former President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to potentially relax some restrictions on advanced technology exports to China, specifically signaling openness to allowing Nvidia Corp. to sell a scaled-back version of its cutting-edge artificial intelligence chips to Beijing. The comments, made during a briefing with reporters on Monday, suggest a potential shift in the highly scrutinized US policy on semiconductor sales to the world’s second-largest economy.
Trump stated he would consider a deal that would permit Nvidia to ship its powerful Blackwell processors to China, provided the chips were designed to be less capable than their top-tier counterparts. He elaborated, describing the potential product as “somewhat enhanced — in a negative way — Blackwell” processors, and clarified this would entail taking “30% to 50% off of it” in terms of performance. This implies a strategic compromise where American chipmakers could access the vast Chinese market, albeit with products deliberately limited in their most advanced functionalities.
This statement comes amidst stringent export controls implemented by the current US administration, aimed at preventing China from acquiring the most sophisticated AI semiconductors. These chips are deemed critical for advancing military capabilities, developing surveillance technologies, and establishing global technological dominance. Nvidia, a global leader in AI chip design, has been particularly impacted by these restrictions, having previously developed specific, less powerful chips like the H800 and A800 (and later the H20) for the Chinese market after its flagship products were effectively banned. The Blackwell series represents Nvidia’s next generation of AI accelerators, crucial for training large language models and other complex artificial intelligence applications.
Trump’s remarks signal a potential divergence from the current administration’s approach, which has largely focused on near-total restrictions on sales of high-end AI chips to China. Such a policy shift, if enacted, could offer a pragmatic middle ground, easing some of the commercial pressures on American technology companies while still attempting to limit China’s access to the very forefront of AI development. The implications for both US chip manufacturers and China’s ambitious AI sector would be substantial, potentially reshaping the ongoing technological rivalry and the global supply chain for advanced semiconductors.