Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says China hasn't approved H200 imports yet — also confirms no new orders placed while Beijing decides

After days of back and forth and lots of unofficial information swirling, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has finally issued an "official" update on the H200 saga in China. Speaking to the press during a visit to Taiwan on Thursday, he confirmed that Beijing hasn't yet decided whether or not to allow imports of the chip into the country, Bloomberg reports. Understandably, the company has also not received any orders while China's stance on the matter remains unclear.

"I’m hoping that the Chinese government would allow Nvidia to sell the H200," Huang reportedly said. "It’s up to the Chinese government now but they are still deciding, and we are waiting patiently.”

Bloomberg says that Huang confirmed meetings with both customers and government officials had taken place during a recent trip to China, but that the CEO confirmed "no new orders for the H200 chips were placed." As the report notes, Chinese officials had reportedly told firms like Alibaba that they could prepare to order the chips, hinting at an imminent decision to allow at least some imports.

However, it has also been reported in previous days and weeks that Beijing has limited H200 purchases and told its customers officers to block H200 imports. The picture is anything but clear, and Huang's statement of clarification, while not a definitive resolution, is the first real official update we've had on the matter in some time.

Naturally, Huang was bullish on the merits of Nvidia's H200 offering, saying the chip is "very good" for the Chinese market and stating there is customer demand. Indeed, it was recently reported that some Chinese companies were considering acquiring H200 chips on the black market due to holdups.

H200 imports to China would be something of a boon to Nvidia. While the company isn't exactly strapped for cash, its market share in the country is predicted to fall drastically from 66% to just 8%. With China prioritizing homegrown silicon, and Nvidia precluded from shipping its most advanced chips to the nation, it seems unlikely that those fortunes will turn around. But H200 imports to China would give the company revenue, and more importantly, keep itself relevant with CUDA while China explores other options.

Follow 3DTested on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.