Nvidia is reconsidering its approach to the Chinese market following fresh U.S. government restrictions on the sale of its Hopper H20 AI chip to the region. However, CEO Jensen Huang confirmed that the company will not be developing another variant from the Hopper series specifically for China.
During a livestream shared by Taiwan’s Formosa TV News, Huang stated, “It’s not going to be Hopper — we can’t modify it any further,” when asked about Nvidia’s next chip tailored for China.
China remains a crucial part of Nvidia’s global business. In the fiscal year ending January 26, China contributed $17 billion to Nvidia’s revenue, representing approximately 13% of its total sales. After the latest curbs, Huang promptly visited China, underlining the country’s strategic importance.
Despite the restrictions, Reuters recently reported that Nvidia is preparing to introduce a downgraded version of the H20 chip for the Chinese market within the next two months, aiming to regain ground lost to domestic players such as Huawei.
The U.S. government’s most recent regulatory framework, introduced just before the end of President Biden’s term in January, seeks to limit the global spread of advanced AI hardware. Huang criticized the export policy, saying prior restrictions were misguided and should have instead prioritized the global proliferation of U.S. technological leadership.
Former President Donald Trump has pledged to roll back the AI export controls if reelected.