US President Donald Trump has said that NVIDIA’s most advanced Blackwell artificial intelligence (AI) chips will be kept exclusively for American companies. This would effectively barring China and other countries from accessing the technology.
In a taped interview aired on CBS’ 60 Minutes and in remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said only US customers should have access to NVIDIA’s top-end AI chips. “We don’t give the (Blackwell) chip to other people,” he said.
His comments signal the possibility of tighter restrictions on exports of cutting-edge US semiconductors than previously indicated, potentially expanding the ban beyond China to include other markets. The move comes despite the administration’s earlier artificial intelligence blueprint released in July, which aimed to expand AI exports to allies to help maintain America’s technological lead over China. It also follows NVIDIA’s recent announcement that it would supply over 260,000 Blackwell chips to South Korea, including to major firms such as Samsung Electronics.
Trump further suggested that China would still be permitted to the sale of less powerful versions of the chip. “We will let them deal with NVIDIA but not in terms of the most advanced,” he said.
NVIDIA, meanwhile, has not applied for export licenses to China, with CEO Jensen Huang stating last week that Beijing had made it clear the company is currently unwelcome there. He added that continued access to global markets is important to sustain NVIDIA’s US-based research and development.
(Source: Reuters)
