Nvidia slashes list of authorized customers in Asia in a bid to reduce AI chip smuggling, report claims — company sent field inspectors, called customers to check if business is genuine after pressure from Washington

Nvidia logo.

AI tech giant Nvidia, which builds some of the most coveted AI chips in the world, has reportedly created a new “whitelist” of verified companies to help prevent its products from getting smuggled into China. According to the Financial Times, this roster cuts the number of authorized clients by more than half, with those remaining having passed tougher compliance inspections to ensure that they are genuine businesses, not shell companies designed to forward Nvidia GPUs and servers into China. Some of the steps that Nvidia took to help safeguard its chips reportedly included sending staff to customer data centers, contract verification, and interviewing end users.

Go deeper with TH Premium: Taiwan, trade, and tariffs