Nvidia halves Asian AI‑chip buyer list as US tightens export controls; only few H200 chips reach China

Nvidia has introduced a new “white list” compliance system for its AI chips in Asia, disqualifying more than half of its previously approved customers in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. The company now sends staff to inspect data centres, verify contracts and interview end‑users, with the U.S. Commerce Department overseeing the process. The move follows a U.S.‑led crackdown on chip smuggling – prosecutors earlier this year charged Supermicro executives over a $2.5 billion scheme that routed Nvidia GPUs through Southeast‑Asian intermediaries into China.

At the same time, U.S. officials confirmed that only a “very small” number of Nvidia H200 AI processors have been shipped to China under limited licences. Roughly ten Chinese firms, including units of ZTE, Alibaba, Tencent and ByteDance, received approval, but actual deliveries remain minimal. The tightening of export controls and the reduction of Nvidia’s Asian buyer base are expected to shrink the company’s AI‑GPU market share in China from about two‑thirds in 2024 to under ten percent by 2026, while domestic Chinese chip producers gain ground.

Nvidia’s share price fell modestly after the announcement, reflecting investor concerns over the loss of a massive market and the broader uncertainty surrounding U.S. AI‑chip export policy.