Nvidia Plans to Start Shipping H200 AI Chips to China by Mid-February, Sources Say
GeokHub
Contributing Writer
WASHINGTON / BEIJING, Dec 22, 2025 (GeokHub) — U.S. chipmaker Nvidia has informed Chinese customers that it aims to begin shipping its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China before the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The planned deliveries would mark the first shipment of H200 chips to China since U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this month that Washington would allow sales of the advanced processors, subject to a 25% government fee.
Initial Shipments from Existing Stock
Sources said Nvidia intends to fulfil initial Chinese orders using existing inventory, with expected shipments of 5,000 to 10,000 chip modules, equivalent to roughly 40,000 to 80,000 H200 chips.
Nvidia has also told clients it plans to expand production capacity for the H200, with new orders for that capacity expected to open in the second quarter of 2026, one source said.
However, the timeline remains uncertain, as Chinese authorities have not yet approved any purchases, and shipments depend on regulatory clearance in Beijing.
“The whole plan is contingent on government approval,” one source said. “Nothing is certain until we get the official go-ahead.”
The sources declined to be identified because the discussions are private. Nvidia and China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Major Shift in U.S. Policy
The planned shipments follow a significant policy shift from Washington. Under former President Joe Biden, the United States banned sales of advanced AI chips to China, citing national security concerns.
Earlier this month, President Trump said his administration would allow H200 exports to China, arguing that controlled sales would help U.S. firms stay ahead of Chinese competitors while generating revenue for the U.S. government.
Reuters previously reported that the Trump administration launched an inter-agency review of license applications for H200 sales to China, signalling progress toward implementation of the new policy.
Why the H200 Matters
The H200 chip is part of Nvidia’s Hopper generation, which, while older than the company’s newer Blackwell processors, remains widely used for training and running advanced AI models.
Nvidia has shifted much of its manufacturing focus to Blackwell and its upcoming Rubin line, making H200 chips increasingly scarce.
For Chinese technology companies such as Alibaba Group and ByteDance, access to the H200 would represent a major upgrade. The chip is estimated to be around six times more powerful than the H20, a downgraded processor Nvidia previously designed to comply with U.S. export restrictions.
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U.S. Lawmakers Press for Disclosure on Nvidia AI Chip Sales to China
China Weighs Approval Amid Domestic Concerns
China has been accelerating efforts to build a domestic AI chip industry, but local manufacturers have yet to match the H200’s performance.
According to Reuters, Chinese officials held emergency meetings earlier this month to discuss whether to approve the shipments. One proposal under consideration would require each imported H200 chip purchase to be bundled with a specific ratio of domestically produced chips, a move aimed at protecting local manufacturers.
Analysts say the decision could shape the pace of China’s AI development while influencing global competition in advanced semiconductors.
