NVIDIA Targets to Start H200 Chip Shipment to China in February 2026
In Focus
- NVIDIA will fulfill initial H200 chip orders from existing stock
- Uncertainty looms because Beijing hasn’t approved H200 chips
- Companies like ByteDance have shown interest in buying H200 chips
NVIDIA has informed customers in China of its intention to start shipping H200 processors in mid-February, 2026, sources close to the chipmaker have said. According to Yahoo Finance, news of NVIDIA’s H200 China shipments also included information that the company will be expanding production capacity for the chips. The U.S. chipmaker will open orders for the new production capacity in the second quarter of 2026.
How Will NVIDIA Fulfill Initial Chip Orders?
NVIDIA’s H200 export update shows that initial orders will be fulfilled from the existing stock. The company expects shipments to range between 5,000 and 10,000 chip modules, which is equivalent to roughly 40,000 to 80,000 H200 processors. These shipments will be the first H200 chip deliveries to China since the United States President Donald Trump committed to allow their exportation at a 25% levy.
The U.S. government has started reviewing NVIDIA’s AI chip sales to China, signaling President Trump’s intention to fulfil his pledge. The move marks a shift from the Biden administration’s policy on restricting China’s access to advanced AI chips due to national security concerns.
An inter-agency review of H200 chip sales license applications has already commenced. The U.S. Department of Commerce, which is responsible for export policy, has submitted the export license applications to the Defense, Energy, and State Departments for review.
China Hasn’t Approved H200 Chips Yet
NVIDIA plans H200 shipments to China amidst heightened uncertainty. Chinese authorities haven’t approved the purchase of these chips in the country. Sources close to the company say shipping timelines for NVIDIA AI chip exports to China might shift based on government decisions.
“The whole plan is contingent on government approval. Nothing is certain until we get the official go-ahead,” One of the sources mentioned as per Yahoo Finance.
H200 processors belong to the Hopper chip generation. Though they are not as fast as NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips, they are widely used to train and run generative AI models. In recent years, the U.S. chip giant has focused more on the production of Blackwell AI chips to meet rising demand, and its upcoming Rubin line. This shift has created a shortage in the supply of H200 chips. Chinese tech firms like ByteDance and Alibaba Groups have already shown interest in buying the processors from NVIDIA.
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China Remains Keen on Local Chip Production
As NVIDIA seeks to ship H200 chips to China by February 2026, China remains focused on developing its local chip industry. Earlier this month, Chinese officials discussed chip imports and are weighing whether to allow H200 shipments. One of the considerations is to bundle each H200 chip import with a specified number of local chips.
Some Chinese tech companies have already started producing AI chips. For instance, Huawei’s Ascend 910C AI chip is very similar to NVIDIA’s H100. But no local chipmaker has developed a processor that can match the H200.
