Nvidia H200 Chips Arrive in China After Eight-Month Diplomatic Effort
Nvidia's H200 chips have finally entered mainland China after eight months of delivery paralysis. In late August, small batches were delivered to ByteDance and Tencent, each receiving around 10,000 units, which is just 13% of the legal quota of 75,000 per buyer.
The arrival marks a significant milestone in a long-standing diplomatic effort between Nvidia and Chinese regulators. President Trump announced a policy reversal in December 2025, allowing Nvidia to sell H200 chips to approved buyers under the condition that 25% of revenues would be remitted to the US Treasury.
Beijing's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is now the gatekeeper controlling whether the remaining 87% of licensed chip allowances ever arrive. Every future purchase requires individual sign-off, forcing buyers to disclose their needs and justify why they can't use domestic alternatives.