China tech’s GPU dilemma: pay more for black-market H200s, or use slower local AI chips

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Ann Cao,Coco Feng,Wency Chen,Ralph JenningsJanuary 22, 2026 at 08:30 AM

Read Original Article

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Chinese AI companies seeking Nvidia's high-performance H200 GPUs face a difficult choice: pay inflated prices on the black market or use slower, domestically produced chips. Despite US approval for Nvidia to ship the H200 to China, Chinese customs officials are currently holding the chips at the border, creating uncertainty about their availability. This delay has prompted some companies to consider the black market, where bundled servers with eight H200 GPUs are selling for a 50% premium. The situation highlights the challenges Chinese firms face in accessing advanced AI technology amid ongoing trade tensions and regulatory hurdles. The reason for the delay is currently unknown.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

World Economic Forum 30% Jensen Huang 50% United States 60% Huawei Technologies 70% H200 ×680% Nvidia ×590% China ×590%

Keywords

h200 100% nvidia 90% gpu 90% artificial intelligence chips 80% black market 70% china tech 70% import restrictions 60% domestic alternatives 50% huawei technologies 50%