Nvidia cracks down on overseas cloud AI GPU rentals — China partners face 51% non-Chinese client quota as black-market B300 rack prices surge to $2.8M

What happened

NVIDIA is reportedly requiring overseas cloud partners to reserve at least 51% of their AI computing capacity for non-Chinese clients, with potential sanctions for non-compliance including loss of GPU access.

Context and impact

The move follows sustained US government pressure to prevent advanced AI hardware from reaching China. Black-market demand is surging — B300 server racks sell for up to $2.8 million in China. The rule will hit regional cloud providers across Asia.

Details

• 51% capacity quota for non-Chinese clients
• Black-market B300 rack price in China: up to $2.8 million
• Linked to reports of Chinese intelligence targeting Jensen Huang
• Part of broader US export control enforcement on AI chips