Nvidia says it's evaluating a 'variety of products' after report of new AI China chip

Nvidia has announced that it is currently assessing a range of products, which follows reports of its efforts to develop a new artificial intelligence chip specifically for the Chinese market. This upcoming chip, rumored to be named the B30A, is anticipated to surpass the existing H20 model in performance and is expected to utilize Nvidia's Blackwell chip architecture, as reported by Reuters citing sources close to the situation. The company aims to provide sample units to its Chinese clients for testing as early as next month. In a statement to CNBC, Nvidia emphasized its commitment to evaluating various products in order to maintain competitiveness within the constraints set by government regulations. "Everything we offer is with the full approval of the applicable authorities and designed solely for beneficial commercial use," the statement read. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick praised Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang, expressing that he wouldn't be surprised if Huang is actively seeking to expand sales of new chips in China. In an interview, Lutnick noted, "I've listened to him pitch the president, and the president listens to our great technology companies, and he'll decide how he wants to play it." Recently, Nvidia and competitor Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reached an agreement with the U.S. government, agreeing to remit 15% of their sales in China in exchange for the opportunity to resume chip sales in the region. This arrangement comes after the Trump administration imposed restrictions on the sale of advanced chips to China due to national security concerns. Nvidia had previously developed its H20 chip tailored for the Chinese market after the Biden administration enacted export controls on AI technology in 2023. Meanwhile, AMD has launched its MI308 chip targeting the same market. Former President Donald Trump revealed that he initially proposed a 20% cut of Nvidia's sales, but Huang successfully negotiated it down to 15%. Trump also indicated his openness to Nvidia potentially selling a reduced version of the Blackwell chip in China, suggesting, "It's possible I'd make a deal on a somewhat enhanced — in a negative way — Blackwell processor, taking 30% to 50% off of it."