Nvidia Targets Mid-February for First H200 AI Chip Shipments to China, Pending Beijing's Approval

Nvidia has informed its Chinese clients it's aiming to begin shipping its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China before the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February, according to a exclusive Reuters report citing three sources familiar with the matter. However, the entire plan is contingent on approval from the Chinese government, leaving significant uncertainty.

Initial Shipments and Future Capacity

The Nvidia chip designer plans to fulfill the first orders from its existing stock. Initial shipments are expected to total between 6,000 to 8,000 chip modules, which is equivalent to about 12,000 to 16,000 individual H200 AI chips, two of the sources said.

Looking ahead, Nvidia has reportedly told clients it will add new production capacity for the chips, with orders for that capacity set to open in the first half of 2025.

The Critical Hurdle: A Government Green Light

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, emphasized that the timeline could shift as Beijing has not yet approved any H200 purchases. "The whole plan is ‍contingent on government approval," one source stated, adding that "nothing was certain until the official go-ahead."

In a statement to Reuters, Nvidia commented: “Licensed sales of the H200 to authorised customers in China will have no impact on our ability to supply ‌customers in the U.S..”