• Nvidia is developing a new AI chip, the B30A, based on its Blackwell architecture for the Chinese market, designed to offer more power than the currently permitted H20 while complying with U.S. export controls.
  • The company plans to send test samples to Chinese clients as soon as next month, aiming to preserve a market that accounts for roughly 13% of its revenue.
  • The move comes amid heightened U.S. scrutiny, with officials reportedly requiring Nvidia to hand over details on China sales and embedding tracking devices in high-risk exports.

Nvidia Corp. is engineering a new artificial intelligence chip specifically for the Chinese market, according to people familiar with the matter, in its latest effort to circumvent stringent U.S. export controls without forfeiting a critical revenue stream. The chip, reportedly designated the B30A, is based on the company’s cutting-edge Blackwell architecture but has been reconfigured with a single-die design and high-bandwidth memory to deliver approximately half the raw compute power of its top-tier offerings like the B300.

The development underscores the precarious balancing act the world’s largest AI chipmaker must perform as geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to fracture the global semiconductor market. U.S. regulations, tightened repeatedly since 2018, strictly limit the performance metrics—particularly computing capacity and interconnect bandwidth—of AI chips that can be sold to China, citing national security concerns over potential military applications.

Efforts to get the new chip to market are moving quickly. The people briefed on the plans said Nvidia intends to send test samples to its major Chinese cloud and AI clients as early as next month. This accelerated timeline highlights the urgency for both Nvidia and its Chinese customers, who are eager to maintain access to the world’s most advanced AI hardware amid a push by Beijing for technological self-sufficiency.

A parallel product, the RTX6000D, is also reportedly in the works, targeting the AI inference market at a lower price point, just beneath the U.S. control thresholds. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new chips.

The stakes are immense. China historically represents a multi-billion dollar market for Nvidia, accounting for about 13% of its revenue. However, that future revenue is now at risk. Beijing has accelerated the development of domestic AI chips and has begun deeming some U.S. products as "non-secure," creating a dual challenge of regulatory hurdles and rising local competition.

Furthermore, the regulatory environment is becoming increasingly complex. Reports indicate that U.S. officials, wary of any potential workarounds, have required Nvidia to hand over details on roughly 15% of its sales into China. There are also claims that tracking devices have been embedded in high-risk exports, a measure that has escalated concerns within China about sovereignty and security.

For now, the development of the B30A suggests Nvidia believes there is still a viable—if diminished—pathway to serve its Chinese clientele. However, with U.S. policy decisions, especially in an election year, subject to change, the long-term outlook for these tailored products remains highly uncertain. Each adaptation invites fresh scrutiny, and the company’s ability to continually innovate within a narrowing window of compliance will be tested as the technological cold war between the two superpowers intensifies.