Alibaba and ByteDance pursue Nvidia H200 chips after Trump`s greenlight

ByteDance and Alibaba have asked Nvidia about purchasing its H200 artificial intelligence chip after U.S. President Donald Trump cleared the way for exports to China, according to four people briefed on the discussions. The companies are interested in placing large orders if Chinese regulators approve the moves, two of the people said.

The firms remain unsure about supply conditions and are seeking guidance from Nvidia, one person added. Production of the H200 is currently limited as Nvidia concentrates on its Blackwell and upcoming Rubin lines, two people familiar with the supply chain said.

Until Trump’s decision, the most advanced AI chip that could legally be shipped to China was Nvidia’s H20. The H200 is nearly six times more powerful. Chinese authorities have not yet responded publicly to the change. Recent restrictions have barred government-funded data centres and major technology companies from buying Nvidia’s chips, cutting into the U.S. firm’s market share in China.

The Information reported that Chinese regulators recently met Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent representatives and asked them to assess their demand for the H200. Officials told them a decision would follow soon.

Chinese companies are interested in the H200 because of its training capabilities, which exceed those of domestic alternatives better suited for inference, the sources said. A review of more than 100 tenders and academic papers found that universities, data centre operators and entities linked to China’s military have also attempted to obtain the chip through grey-market channels.

Before the policy reversal, supplying the H200 to Chinese buyers would have violated U.S. export rules that restrict processors above a defined performance level. The shift has created a situation in which older Nvidia chips such as the A100 and H100 still face controls, while the more powerful H200 does not.

Companies expect Chinese authorities to review any purchase applications and request detailed use cases as Beijing weighs support for domestic chipmakers including Huawei and Cambricon. China’s foreign ministry said it values cooperation with the United States and declined further comment.