Nvidia's advanced AI chips, barred from sale to China under U.S. export controls, have more than doubled in price on the country's black market. The Financial Times (FT) reported the trend based on interviews with Chinese chip traders, and Reuters relayed it on June 23, 2026.
Jun 2026 · US–China Chip Controls
Nvidia's Banned AI Chips Double in Price on China's Black Market
Tougher US enforcement against illegal exports has collided with persistently strong demand — and the price of smuggled, export-barred Nvidia GPUs has more than doubled, exposing the limits of export controls.
2×+
Black-market price increase for banned AI chips (Jun 2026)
$1B+
B200 & other chips smuggled into China in 3 months (to Jul 2025)
+50%
B200 rack premium over US average selling price (Jul 2025)
B200 Rack: US Price vs China Black-Market Price
Same unit, same scale — roughly 50% above US average selling price (Jul 2025)
~$326K
US avg
~$489K
China black
The Cycle That Keeps Prices Rising
US export controlsblock advanced chips
→
Demand for Nvidia's performance & CUDA stays strong
→
Smuggling & black market expand
→
Tougher port crackdowns push prices up
The pull toward Nvidia
CUDA ecosystem keeps a real edge for AI training & inference. Buyers keep trading even at soaring prices — reliance is hard to dissolve.
The risks buyers swallow
No official Nvidia support or warranty, tougher customs inspections, and a dilemma: pay black-market premiums or accept slower domestic chips.
Chips In Play & Past Transaction Prices
B200 (Blackwell)
Banned high-performance GPU — circulated by the rack for data centers.
H100 / H200 (Hopper)
H200 ~$27,000 each, with quantity limits & upfront payment for China.
H20 / RTX Pro 6000D
China-specific chips now also caught in curbs and port crackdowns.
Deals said to flow through distributors in Guangdong, Zhejiang and Anhui. Latest Jun 2026 figures undisclosed; details not independently verified.
Continue reading The rest of this article is for AI News Blitz readers. Choose an option below to keep reading.
Already purchased? Sign in ✓ Signed in — this article isn’t included in your current plan.Unlocking the full article…