Story perspectives

Commerce Clears Nvidia Chips, Beijing Stops Alibaba, Tencent Orders

5/15/2026

Summary

Nvidia CEO Revives

The U.S. Commerce Department cleared ten Chinese firms—including Alibaba and Tencent—to buy 75,000 Nvidia H200 chips, yet none shipped by May 14 2026.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined President Donald Trump on May 13 2026 to revive sales.
Chinese firms withdrew after Beijing guidance, citing a push for domestic chips despite January 2026 approvals, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said 25 percent U.S. revenue-share rule and non-military-use proof requirement have blocked shipments to China.

Summary

Nvidia Confronts China

Nvidia CFO Colette Kress said guidance assumes zero revenue from China despite limited H200 approvals.
Jim Cramer warned forcing China to build AI chips could let it surpass the U.S., called Nvidia a cheap stock and urged investors to buy for its low valuation.
Investors await Nvidia’s earnings report to see whether any China-related sales materialize.
Jensen Huang told GTC that Nvidia has purchase orders and is restarting manufacturing.

Summary

US busts smuggling

U.S. government dismantled an AI-technology smuggling ring in late 2025 that funneled Nvidia chips to China.
Investigators named Singapore-based Megaspeed and Apex, Malaysia’s Speedmatrix, and Taiwan’s Giga Computing as intermediaries diverting Nvidia products.
Super Micro Computer was implicated in the same operation earlier in 2025, showing supply-chain vulnerabilities.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Reuters report was “news to me” and noted Nvidia has not confirmed receipt of licenses.

History

Historical Context

In October 2022 the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security added advanced computing chips and semiconductor equipment to the Export Control List, expanding license requirements for 28 Chinese entities. A flexible license-review policy introduced in January 2026 reinforced those limits. Nvidia’s H200 chips now face similar approval delays for Alibaba and Tencent, echoing the earlier controls.

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Nvidia CEO Revives

The U.S. Commerce Department cleared ten Chinese firms—including Alibaba and Tencent—to buy 75,000 Nvidia H200 chips, yet none shipped by May 14 2026.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined President Donald Trump on May 13 2026 to revive sales.
Chinese firms withdrew after Beijing guidance, citing a push for domestic chips despite January 2026 approvals, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said 25 percent U.S. revenue-share rule and non-military-use proof requirement have blocked shipments to China.

1 / 4