At CES 2026, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, in an interview with Nikkei Asia, stated that the company’s current Blackwell chips and next-generation Rubin chips will be supplied to the Chinese market in a "timely" manner. This move aims to maintain NVIDIA's competitiveness in China amid rising challenges from domestic GPU contenders.
Huang’s remarks came during a discussion on the market position of the H200 chip in China. He noted, “H200 is currently competitive in China, but that competitiveness will not last forever.” To solidify its standing, Huang stressed the need to promptly introduce next-generation products like Blackwell and Rubin, while also urging the U.S. government to update export control policies to keep American technology globally competitive. Previously, U.S. authorities permitted NVIDIA to sell H200 chips to “approved customers” in China, subject to a 25% revenue share, though Blackwell and Rubin were not included in that arrangement.
NVIDIA's urgency stems from the rapid rise of domestic Chinese GPU players. Huang referred to companies like Huawei as “strong competitors,” while a group of local GPU startups—often called the “four dragons”—are accelerating their capital market entries. Moore Threads, MetaX, Biren Technology have already gone public, and Tencent-backed Enflame Technology is also preparing for an IPO. Huang acknowledged, “China has produced many startups, and many of them have gone public and performed very well, demonstrating the vibrancy and capability of the Chinese tech industry.” He emphasized that NVIDIA must compete in China and continue advancing its technology to maintain its relevance, adding that the company will “progressively” roll out new products in the country.
Meanwhile, there is progress on exporting the H200 chip to China. NVIDIA CFO Colette Kress disclosed that the U.S. government is “actively advancing” the approval process for H200 export licenses, and the company hopes for a swift conclusion. NVIDIA plans to deliver H200 chips to Chinese customers by mid-February 2026, which will help meet short-term domestic computing demand and intensify competition between local and international chipmakers.
ICgoodFind Perspective: NVIDIA's renewed focus on the China market marks a new phase in GPU competition. We are committed to helping the industry access diverse computing resources and stay informed of market developments.
