Trump Blocks Nvidia’s AI Chip Exports to China Ahead of Xi Summit
President Trump intervened to halt Nvidia's proposed export of advanced Blackwell AI chips to China just days before his October 30 meeting with President Xi Jinping. The decision came after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang lobbied aggressively for approval, citing China's position as both a critical market and home to nearly half the world's AI research talent.
National security concerns ultimately prevailed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and trade officials Jamieson Greer and Howard Lutnick unanimously warned that the high-performance processors WOULD significantly enhance China's AI capabilities at the expense of U.S. strategic interests. The blocked sale represents billions in lost revenue for Nvidia, whose chips power cutting-edge AI systems worldwide.
The abrupt policy shift underscores growing tensions in tech trade between the superpowers. While Huang emphasized the risks of decoupling from Chinese research ecosystems, the administration prioritized maintaining America's technological edge in artificial intelligence development.