During an interview with CNBC, Bessent noted that Blackwell chips could fall several generations behind as chip technology continues to evolve.
- Currently, H20 is Nvidia’s only approved product for China.
- Bessent noted that Blackwell chips could fall several generations behind as chip technology continues to evolve.
- The U.S. provided an export license to Microsoft for shipping advanced GPUs, including Nvidia GB300 chips.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested on Tuesday that NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA) could, in the future, be permitted to sell its high-end Blackwell chips to China as the technology advances.
His remarks signal a potential easing of export restrictions if newer, more powerful chips surpass Blackwell’s current capabilities.
When Will Blackwell Chips Be Eligible For Export?
During an interview with CNBC, Bessent highlighted the rapid pace of innovation in the semiconductor industry and noted that Nvidia’s Blackwell chips, which are currently among the most advanced AI processors on the market, could fall several generations behind as chip technology continues to evolve.
He noted that within the next 12 to 24 months, Blackwell could become two, three, or four levels down the chip giant’s performance measure, a scenario where the chips might then be eligible for export under U.S. trade rules.
“There may be a case down the road. I don’t know whether it’s 12 or 24 months, given the incredible innovation that goes on at Nvidia, where the Blackwell chips may be two, three, four (levels) down their chip stack in terms of efficacy.”
-Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury Secretary
“And at that point, they could be sold off.”
Nvidia’s stock traded over 1% lower on Tuesday morning. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock remained in ‘extremely bullish’ territory. Message volume shifted to ‘high’ from ‘extremely high’ levels in 24 hours.
Balancing Innovation With National Security
The administration under President Donald Trump has maintained strict controls on the export of advanced AI semiconductors to China, citing national security concerns tied to artificial intelligence and military applications.
Currently, H20 is Nvidia’s only approved product for China. However, the company’s CEO, Jensen Huang, has recently stated that he remains optimistic about eventually selling the new Blackwell AI chips in China.
On Monday, the U.S. granted Microsoft (MSFT) an export license to ship advanced GPUs, including Nvidia’s A100, H100, and GB300 chips, to the U.A.E.
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