It looks like President Donald Trump does not want to share his AI chips. Artificial intelligence giant Nvidia’s most advanced chips will be reserved for U.S. companies and kept out of China and other countries, Trump said.
In 2025, NVIDIA’s AI chips, including the H100 and H200 “Blackwell” series, have become central to U.S. trade and technology policy. NVIDIA is expanding domestic production in Arizona and Texas to strengthen supply chains, though many components still rely on global suppliers. The U.S. government has imposed strict export controls on sales of advanced AI chips to China, citing national-security concerns, while allowing certain older models to be exported under conditions that include sharing a portion of revenue (~15%) with the U.S. government. These measures are intended to protect technological leadership and support domestic manufacturing, but they do not fully eliminate dependency on foreign production or supply chains.
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The policies carry significant risks and uncertainties. Export restrictions limit access to major markets and may accelerate development of foreign competitors. Some details, such as which exact Blackwell models are restricted and the full terms of revenue-sharing agreements, are not publicly confirmed. NVIDIA has expressed concerns that overly stringent controls could hinder innovation and commercial opportunities. The situation illustrates the delicate balance between national security, economic interests, and global AI competition, highlighting that U.S. leadership in AI depends on both domestic innovation and international collaboration.
During a taped interview that aired on Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes” program and in comments to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said only U.S. customers should have access to the top-end Blackwell chips offered by Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company by market capitalization.
“The most advanced, we will not let anybody have them other than the United States,” he told CBS, echoing remarks made earlier to reporters as he returned to Washington from a weekend in Florida. “We don’t give (the Blackwell) chip to other people,” he said during the flight.
Trump told CBS he would not allow the sale of the most advanced Blackwells to Chinese companies, but he did not rule out a path for them to obtain a less capable version of the chip. “We will let them deal with Nvidia but not in terms of the most advanced,” he said during the “60 Minutes” interview.
By reserving the most advanced chips for domestic use, the U.S. government aims to maintain a competitive edge in AI innovation and safeguard sensitive capabilities from strategic rivals. At the same time, export controls and revenue-sharing conditions for other models highlight the complexity of balancing commercial interests with security objectives. While these measures strengthen U.S. technological leadership and support domestic manufacturing, they also carry potential downsides, including limiting access to key global markets, incentivizing foreign competitors to accelerate their own chip development, and creating uncertainty for companies navigating international trade. Overall, the episode illustrates that maintaining U.S. dominance in advanced AI is not just about innovation, but also about careful policy management, supply chain resilience, and strategic coordination between government and private industry in a highly competitive global environment.