Nvidia Seeks U.S. Approval for China-Targeted B30 Chip with 80% Performance, Amid Ongoing Export Negotiations

Nvidia has reportedly shown a China-specific version of its upcoming B30 chip to the U.S. government, seeking approval to export it to China. According to the Wall Street Journal, the B30 chip delivers approximately 80% of the performance of the standard Blackwell GPU, a significant reduction from the full-featured model. The chip is part of Nvidia’s ongoing effort to navigate strict U.S. export controls while still maintaining a presence in the Chinese market. President Donald Trump has indicated he might allow the sale of a modified Blackwell GPU, provided it is at least 30% less powerful than the standard version. “It is possible I would make a deal [on a] ‘somewhat enhanced in a negative way’ Blackwell processor,” Trump told reporters, suggesting a reduction of 30% to 50% in performance. This aligns with the current state of the B30, which is designed to fall within such performance constraints. The U.S. previously banned the sale of the HGX H20, a China-targeted chip, in mid-April, leading to a $5.5 billion write-down for Nvidia. However, the decision was reversed months later after the U.S. government issued export licenses, permitting the company to resume sales in China. In exchange, Nvidia agreed to give the U.S. government 15% of its sales revenue from the country. This arrangement was reportedly tied to broader negotiations aimed at pressuring China to ease restrictions on the export of rare-earth minerals—critical materials used in semiconductors, advanced electronics, and defense systems. Despite the reversal, there are growing indications that Nvidia is preparing to phase out H20 production. While the company has not confirmed this, sources suggest it is asking suppliers to scale back H20 manufacturing. Nvidia has only stated that it continuously adjusts its supply chain in response to market dynamics. Meanwhile, the company is actively developing a next-generation chip, tentatively referred to as the H20, to replace the H20. CEO Jensen Huang has confirmed that Nvidia is in active discussions with the U.S. government about the new chip, but emphasized that the process remains in early stages. Final approval is still uncertain, and any export decision will likely depend on ongoing geopolitical negotiations and national security assessments.