U.S. official confirms 'very few' Nvidia H200 chips shipped to China

Nvidia's long struggle to access the Chinese AI market has centered on U.S. export restrictions tied to national security concerns and the broader U.S.–China technology competition. For over a year, the company excluded any Chinese revenue from its financial guidance, and CEO Jensen Huang explicitly signaled to investors in May that they should anticipate no material Chinese sales. The Trump administration's December announcement that it would permit H200 exports in exchange for a 25% revenue cut opened a narrow door, and the issuance of licenses earlier in 2025 suggested movement toward resumption. However, Kessler's statement on Tuesday that only "very few" shipments have occurred reflects the continuing tension: while some trade flow has restarted, it remains tightly constrained by case-by-case licensing requirements, national security vetting, and on-site compliance inspections. The H200 itself is an older chip—the Hopper generation—compared to the faster, more powerful Blackwell chips American companies are currently deploying, which limits its strategic value to the U.S. but underscores that any Nvidia shipment to China is politically sensitive.