NVIDIA Confirms Development of “Compliance Chips” for the Chinese Market

　　According to IJIWEI’s report, NVIDIA recently confirmed that it is actively working on new “compliant chips” tailored for the Chinese market. However, these products are not expected to make a substantial contribution to fourth-quarter revenue.

　　On November 21, during NVIDIA’s earnings briefing for the third quarter of 2024, executives acknowledged the significant impact of tightened U.S. export controls on AI. They anticipated a significant decline in data center revenue from China and other affected countries/regions in the fourth quarter. The controls were noted to have a clear negative impact on NVIDIA’s business in China, and this effect is expected to persist in the long term.

　　NVIDIA’s Chief Financial Officer, Colette Kress, also noted that the company anticipates a significant decline in sales in China and the Middle East during the fourth quarter of the 2024 fiscal year. However, she expressed confidence that robust growth in other regions would be sufficient to offset this decline.

　　Kress mentioned that NVIDIA is collaborating with some customers in China and the Middle East to obtain U.S. government approval for selling high-performance products. Simultaneously, NVIDIA is attempting to develop new data center products that comply with U.S. government policies and do not require licenses. However, the impact of these products on fourth-quarter sales is not expected to materialize immediately.

　　Previous reports suggested that NVIDIA has developed the latest series of computational chips, including HGX H20, L20 PCIe, and L2 PCIe, specifically designed for the Chinese market. These chips are modified versions of H100, ensuring compliance with relevant U.S. regulations.

　　As of now, Chinese domestic manufacturers have not received samples of H20, and they may not be available until the end of this month or mid-next month at the earliest. IJIWEI’s report has indicated that insiders have revealed the possibility of further policy modifications by the U.S., a factor that NVIDIA is likely taking into consideration.