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Trump Administration Weighs Stricter Curbs on Nvidia’s China Sales

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The Trump administration is reportedly considering tightening restrictions on Nvidia’s sales of its H20 chips to China, according to sources familiar with the matter. These chips, designed to run artificial intelligence (AI) software, were developed to comply with existing U.S. restrictions on shipments to China, which were initially put in place during the Biden administration. The discussions, still in their early stages, have been ongoing for more than six months, with some elements of the conversation stemming from the previous administration’s stance on technology exports to China.

The potential move to limit Nvidia’s sales of these chips comes amid growing concerns about China’s progress in AI development. China’s recent launch of DeepSeek, an AI assistant that reportedly uses less data and costs significantly less than existing models, has raised alarms that China may be closing the gap on the U.S. in AI technology.

Nvidia has stated that it is “ready to work with the administration as it pursues its own approach to AI.” Following the news, Nvidia’s stock, which was already in decline, saw slight additional losses. The White House has not yet commented on the matter.

While the Biden administration previously enacted a broad set of restrictions barring AI chip exports to China and limiting shipments to other countries, certain AI chips like Nvidia’s H20 remain permissible for export. The potential tightening of these regulations underscores growing tensions over the global AI race and the strategic importance of controlling the flow of advanced technology.

 

Intel Faces Investor Scrutiny Amid CEO Search and Declining Revenue

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Key Highlights:

  • Intel is under intense investor scrutiny as it prepares to report its quarterly results, expected to show a 10.4% drop in revenue, primarily due to weak PC sales and shrinking market share in the datacenter sector.
  • The chipmaker recently ousted CEO Pat Gelsinger and appointed two interim co-CEOs, Michelle Johnston Holthaus and David Zinsner, raising questions about its future strategy, especially regarding its contract chip manufacturing business.
  • Intel plans to make its foundry business an independent unit and may consider spinning it off if its 18A chipmaking technology doesn’t succeed.
  • Intel’s market cap is currently around $85 billion, but analysts suggest it should be valued closer to $120 billion, highlighting concerns over its manufacturing lead and lack of progress in the AI boom, dominated by rivals like Nvidia.

Financial Outlook and Challenges:

  • Revenue is projected to fall 10.4% to $13.81 billion in Intel’s fourth-quarter earnings, with a 9 percentage point drop in gross margin to 39.4%.
  • Datacenter revenue, which includes Intel’s server chips, is forecast to decline by more than 15% for the 11th consecutive quarter. This is largely due to the shift by major cloud providers, such as Microsoft, toward AI chips and away from Intel’s traditional server processors.
  • Intel’s personal computer revenue, its largest segment, is expected to fall by 11% as PC sales remain subdued. Rival AMD continues to gain market share, especially in the x86 CPU market.
  • The company is also facing margin pressures, with its Gaudi AI chips, a lower-cost alternative to Nvidia’s expensive processors, failing to meet sales targets.

Strategic Challenges:

  • Intel has been grappling with the high costs of catching up with TSMC in chip manufacturing and is struggling to regain its lead in both the server and personal computer markets.
  • Despite these challenges, analysts note that Intel’s strategic importance to U.S. chip manufacturing remains high, with government support likely to continue.
  • The company’s focus on returning to growth has sparked discussions about the need for a new CEO to lead its recovery efforts and revitalize its position in the semiconductor industry.

Advantest Raises Profit Forecast Amid AI Chip Demand and DeepSeek Market Impact

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Japan’s Advantest has increased its full-year operating profit forecast by 37%, citing strong demand for chip testing tools used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The company expects operating income to reach 226 billion yen ($1.46 billion) for the financial year ending March 31, 2025.

Key Highlights:

  • AI-Driven Demand Surge: Advantest is seeing increased demand for its semiconductor testing tools, particularly for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) chips.
  • Supply Chain Improvements: CEO Douglas Lefever emphasized the company’s ability to scale up supply chain operations to meet AI sector needs.
  • Q4 Profit Growth: Operating income for October-December surged 158% to 69.2 billion yen.
  • DeepSeek’s Market Impact: The emergence of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has recently affected market sentiment. However, Advantest has not observed changes in customer demand forecasts.
  • Long-Term AI Growth: Lefever reaffirmed that ongoing AI advancements will drive sustained semiconductor and testing tool demand.