Key takeaways President Trump declares Nvidia's most advanced Blackwell AI chips will be reserved exclusively for U.S. companies. Trump leaves open the possibility for China to access less capable ver...
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Nvidia's cutting-edge Blackwell AI chips will not be available to foreign buyers, signaling a potentially dramatic expansion of U.S. technology export restrictions aimed at maintaining American dominance in artificial intelligence.
In remarks made aboard Air Force One and during a CBS "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday evening, Trump declared that only U.S. customers should have access to Nvidia's most advanced semiconductors.
"The most advanced, we will not let anybody have them other than the United States," Trump told CBS, adding that the new Blackwell chip is "10 years ahead of every other chip."
When asked about potential sales to China specifically, Trump did not completely close the door, stating, "We will let them deal with Nvidia, but not in terms of the most advanced."
The president's comments suggest his administration may impose tighter controls on American AI technology than previously indicated, with China and potentially other countries barred from accessing the most sophisticated semiconductors.
This marks a departure from July, when the Trump administration released an AI blueprint seeking to expand exports to allies while maintaining restrictions on adversaries.
The announcement comes just days after Nvidia said it would supply more than 260,000 Blackwell AI chips to South Korea, including to Samsung Electronics, though Trump's new stance raises questions about whether such international deals will proceed.
Republican Congressman John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, has been vocal about the national security implications. He said allowing Blackwell chips to reach Chinese firms "would be akin to giving Iran weapons-grade uranium."
The restrictions place Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang in a difficult position.
Speaking at the APEC CEO Summit in South Korea on Friday, Huang expressed continued hope for eventually selling Blackwell chips in China, though he acknowledged having no current plans to do so.
"I don't know. I hope so someday," Huang told reporters when asked about selling Blackwell chips to China.
At a developer conference earlier in the week, Huang revealed that Nvidia is currently "100% out of China" with zero market share, down from 95% previously. He argued that American companies need access to the Chinese market to fund research and development, stating, "It's in the best interest of America to serve that Chinese market."
However, Huang also noted that Beijing itself has created barriers. "They've made it very clear that they don't want Nvidia to be there right now," he said during the developers' event.
Nvidia's Blackwell chips represent a significant leap in AI computing capability.
The technology is designed for next-generation AI systems, from large language models to autonomous vehicles. At Nvidia's GTC conference this week, Huang disclosed that the company has secured more than $500 billion in orders for its Blackwell and next-generation Rubin chips through the end of 2026.
The announcement helped propel Nvidia past $5 trillion in market capitalization, making it the world's first company to reach that milestone and cementing its position as the most valuable company globally.
Trump had previously hinted he might discuss chip sales with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summit in South Korea last week.
However, Trump confirmed after the meeting that Blackwell chips were not part of the conversation.
"We did discuss chips," Trump told reporters. "They're going to be talking to Nvidia and others about taking chips," but specific discussions about the advanced Blackwell models did not occur.
The technology standoff reflects broader tensions in U.S.-China relations as both nations compete for dominance in artificial intelligence.
Critics fear that providing China access to advanced AI chips could accelerate Beijing's military capabilities and technological development, while supporters of trade argue that restricting access pushes Chinese companies toward developing their own alternatives.
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