WASHINGTON — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated that Nvidia’s top-tier Blackwell AI chips might be eligible for international sale, including to China, as technological advancements render them less cutting-edge.
In an interview with CNBC on November 4, 2025, Bessent said, “There may be a case down the road — I don’t know whether it’s 12 or 24 months — where the Blackwell chips may be two, three, four levels down their chip stack in terms of efficacy. And at that point, they could be sold off.” U.S. News
The comment comes amid ongoing U.S. export controls aimed at limiting China’s access to advanced semiconductors. Nvidia’s Blackwell chips, designed for high-performance AI workloads, are currently subject to restrictions due to their strategic importance.
Bessent’s remarks suggest that as Nvidia continues to innovate and release more powerful chips, older models like Blackwell could fall below the threshold of concern and become eligible for broader export.
Industry analysts view this as a potential shift in U.S. policy, balancing national security with commercial interests. Nvidia has been at the center of the AI hardware race, with its chips powering major platforms like OpenAI and Microsoft Azure.
The Treasury Secretary did not confirm any immediate policy changes but emphasized the pace of innovation as a key factor in future decisions.
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