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Nvidia reportedly limits cloud partners from selling over 49% of services to Chinese clients
Nvidia has reportedly instructed its data center and cloud computing partners to limit the proportion of services provided to Chinese customers. According to reports from the Financial Times and other sources citing individuals familiar with the matter, new contracts may require that at least 51% of a partner's services be directed toward non-Chinese clients, effectively capping Chinese business at 49%.
The directive is reportedly being communicated verbally by sales teams and regional heads rather than through formal written documentation. These new requirements are intended to apply to future contracts and do not affect existing leasing agreements. Nvidia has neither confirmed nor denied these specific reports, stating instead that data centers built on US chip technology are essential for maintaining the global competitiveness of US model and application developers.
This move follows increased US efforts to restrict China's access to advanced AI computing power. While US export controls target the direct sale of high-end chips, many Chinese AI firms have bypassed these restrictions by renting computing resources from overseas cloud providers in regions such as Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The reported shift by Nvidia aims to narrow this loophole by regulating the customer composition of the cloud providers themselves.
Entities
China · Financial Times · Huawei · Moonshot AI · Nvidia · United States · United States Department of Commerce · White House
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nvidia has communicated these requirements verbally through sales teams and regional heads rather than in writing. www.secretchina.com · www.blocktempo.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The US Department of Commerce is reportedly drafting rules to target servers in third countries like Thailand and Singapore. www.blocktempo.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Nvidia is reportedly requiring cloud and data center partners to ensure at least 51% of their services are sold to non-Chinese companies. technews.tw · www.secretchina.com · www.blocktempo.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nvidia stated that data centers built on US chips are a vital foundation for US model and application developers to remain globally competitive. www.secretchina.com · www.blocktempo.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nvidia has not officially confirmed or denied the reports regarding the 51% service requirement. www.secretchina.com · www.blocktempo.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Moonshot AI has reportedly sought to rent computing clusters in Europe to access Nvidia Blackwell GPUs. technews.tw
- [● 2 SOURCES] The White House alleged that Moonshot AI used a facility in Thailand to remotely access Nvidia Blackwell chips. technews.tw · www.blocktempo.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The requirement for partners to limit Chinese business to 49% applies to future contracts and not existing ones. www.secretchina.com · www.blocktempo.com