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Nvidia has said it expects to take a $5.5bn blow after the US clamped down on the Silicon Valley group’s ability to export artificial intelligence chips to China.
The group said in a regulatory filing late on Tuesday that the H20 chip, which is tailored for the Chinese market to comply with export controls that already prevent the sale of its most powerful chips in China, will now also require a special license to sell to customers in the country.
Nvidia said in its filing that the US government had said the move was necessary to address the risk of the H20 being used in “a supercomputer in China”.
The group said it would take a $5.5bn charge in the quarter to April 27 “associated with H20 products for inventory, purchase commitments and related reserves”. Nvidia shares fell 4 per cent in after-hours trading on Tuesday.
The move marks the latest example of how the administration of Donald Trump is using tariffs and other trade barriers to increase pressure on Beijing. The US president has already increased tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 per cent, although some consumer electronics have received a temporary reprieve.
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