Repair services for AI chips 'H100' and 'A100' that should not exist in China are rapidly increasing, and there is a possibility that they are circulating by evading US regulations
Repair services for NVIDIA's high-performance AI semiconductor 'H100,' which is banned from being exported to China, are somehow starting to appear in China. According to a Reuters investigation, about 10 companies have already started handling the products.
Nvidia AI chips: repair demand booms in China for banned products | Reuters
NVIDIA's 'H100' is a semiconductor that is essential for developing high-performance AI models, but due to concerns from the US government over military use, its export to China is completely banned. Similarly, the export of products in the same class, such as the 'A100,' is also banned, and the prevailing view is that China will have no choice but to import lower-performance semiconductors or develop its own.
US tightens restrictions on AI chip exports to China, making it difficult to export NVIDIA chips - GIGAZINE
However, repair services for the H100, which in theory should not exist, have been confirmed in China. According to Reuters, as of July 2025, there were about 10 specialized companies providing repair services, and demand was high.
A source who spoke to Reuters said, 'The company has been repairing NVIDIA gaming GPUs for 15 years, and started repairing AI-compatible GPUs from the end of 2024. Business is going well, and the company has established a new specialized company to repair up to 500 AI GPUs per month. The company has an environment that can accommodate 256 servers, and can also simulate customers' data center environments for testing.'
Buying, selling or repairing Nvidia GPUs is not illegal in China, but the sources reportedly declined to be identified due to concerns about scrutiny by US and Chinese authorities.
An NVIDIA representative said, 'Only our own employees and our certified partners can provide support. It is technically and economically impossible for unauthorized parties to provide hardware and software support.'
There have long been concerns that some high-performance semiconductors are being smuggled into China, and Republican and Democratic lawmakers have introduced bills to require semiconductor tracking to try to block this. China has called for countries to cooperate in the development and security of rapidly evolving AI, proposing the establishment of an organization to promote international cooperation on AI, and warned that AI could become a 'monopoly game' for only a few countries and companies, citing issues such as a shortage of AI chip supplies and restrictions on personnel exchanges.
China calls for global AI cooperation days after Trump administration unveils low-regulation strategy | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian
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