After months of market rumors, the U.S. government has finally officially implemented a new round of tariffs on some semiconductor products, including Nvidia's H200 high-end artificial intelligence chips planned to be exported to China. President Donald Trump signed a presidential proclamation on Wednesday imposing a 25% tariff on advanced AI chips produced outside the United States, transshipped through the United States and then exported to third-country customers. The move was packaged as a measure that balances economic and national security.
This tariff arrangement actually completes the previous decision of the U.S. Department of Commerce to "green light" Nvidia H200 exports to China in December 2025, allowing some Chinese customers who have passed the review to continue to obtain related chips under additional tax burdens. The announcement also named other advanced AI semiconductors such as AMD MI325X, which are also included in the new tariffs, and are not just targeted at NVIDIA.
In the context of increasing policy levels, Nvidia still publicly expressed support for this decision on the grounds that the policy at least retains space for U.S. chip manufacturers to participate in global competition and create local high-paying jobs. An Nvidia spokesperson said by email that allowing the supply of H200 to commercial customers subject to review and approval by the Department of Commerce is a "thoughtful balance" between national security and industrial competitiveness.
From the demand side, Nvidia H200 has already accumulated considerable order intentions in the Chinese market. The company was once exposed to considering increasing the production capacity of this product to cope with the rush to buy from Chinese technology companies. However, what really determines the actual scale of imports, in addition to corporate demand, is how the Chinese central government sets the corresponding regulatory framework.
According to Nikkei Asia, China is drafting purchase rules and quota guidelines for imported high-end chips, including H200, which will set the upper limit for local companies to purchase related products from overseas. If the relevant rules are implemented, it means that China's attitude towards Nvidia chips will shift from the previous more "resistance" policy orientation to limited procurement under strict control.
It should be noted that this US tariff measure does not apply to chips imported into the United States and used domestically for scientific research, defense or commercial purposes. The presidential announcement also emphasized that the United States currently only produces about 10% of the total chips it requires. High dependence on external supply chains is regarded as a major economic and national security risk. This is also one of the important political bases of the New Deal.