China eases chip curbs
Nvidia reportedly won Beijing approval to sell its second‑most‑powerful AI chips in China and is preparing a specialized Groq chip for the market — a clear sign trade curbs are easing. (cyprus-mail.com) Analysts say the shift is part of a tentative tech détente and that more direct U.S.–China engagement, including official visits, is being urged to avoid policy missteps. (nytimes.com)
The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security issued a final rule on Jan. 13, 2026 that moved exports of Nvidia’s H200 and AMD’s MI325X — and similar advanced AI processors — to a case-by-case license review for shipments to China. (bis.gov) Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told reporters at the company’s GTC conference on March 17, 2026 that the company has received purchase orders from Chinese customers and is “restarting our manufacturing” to fulfill those orders for H200-class products. (cnbc.com) China represented roughly $17 billion of Nvidia’s revenue in the prior fiscal year — about 13% of total sales in the period ending Jan. 26, 2026 — making renewed access to Chinese buyers economically significant for the company. (usnews.com) Reuters has reported that Nvidia licensed technology from Groq in a deal valued at about $17 billion late last year and is developing Groq-based chips configured for inference workloads that would be tailored for the Chinese market. (newsbreak.com) Policy signals have been uneven: the Commerce Department pulled a draft global AI‑chip export rule from interagency review on March 13, 2026, removing a previously visible regulatory proposal for broader export permits. (money.usnews.com) Opinion and analyst commentary on March 22, 2026 described the recent approvals as part of a tentative “tech détente” and urged stepped‑up direct U.S.–China engagement, including official visits, to reduce the risk of costly policy missteps. (nytimes.com)
