Nvidia to attend China Expo 2025 as US steps up AI chip export curbs

US chipmaker Nvidia will make its debut at China's 2025 Supply Chain Expo, which is expected to feature over 650 companies and more than 100 new product launches

US-based chipmaking giant Nvidia is set to attend China’s flagship supply chain exhibition for the first time, even as tensions between Washington and Beijing escalate over technology and trade, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday.

 

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), which organises the event, stated that Nvidia will be among over 100 exhibitors from the United States and Europe taking part in the third edition of the China International Supply Chain Expo, scheduled for July in Beijing. This marks the artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker’s debut appearance at the five-day event, which begins on July 16.

 

 

Western participation grows despite trade tensions

The announcement comes as the US continues to tighten restrictions on China’s semiconductor industry. Washington has implemented sweeping export controls limiting China’s access to advanced chips and banned the procurement of Chinese-made chips by government contractors. In response, Beijing has invoked anti-foreign sanction laws to counter such measures.

 

Despite this, the CCPIT said participation from Western countries is growing. Yu Jianlong, deputy director of the council, told the South China Morning Post that the number of American companies at this year’s expo has increased by 15 per cent compared to 2024, while non-mainland Chinese representation now accounts for 35 per cent of the total, up three percentage points from last year.

 

Yu described the high turnout as a “vote of confidence” in China’s supply chain resilience, despite what he called a “complex and volatile” global trade environment.

 

More than 100 new product launches scheduled

The expo will feature more than 650 companies representing sectors such as digital technology, advanced manufacturing, and smart vehicles. More than 100 new product launches are planned during the event.

 

Nvidia balances China market and US regulations

Nvidia’s presence at the expo highlights its balancing act in the face of increasing pressure from US authorities. The company was recently hit by US export curbs on its H20 chip, then the most advanced model it could legally sell to China, which reportedly led to an estimated $15 billion hit to its revenues.

 

In response, Nvidia is said to be developing a new AI chip for the Chinese market, dubbed the B30, designed to comply with US regulations. The chip is expected to launch in July, coinciding with the expo in Beijing.

 

Meanwhile, the US Bureau of Industry and Security has issued additional guidelines aimed at preventing the use of American chips in the training of Chinese AI models and at curbing the global use of advanced Chinese AI chips.

 

China has vowed to retaliate, pledging enforcement actions against any individuals or organisations assisting with the implementation of these US bans.