WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced that Nvidia’s most advanced semiconductors, the Blackwell series, will be restricted solely to American customers to maintain US technological dominance.

On Sunday, Trump declared, “The most advanced, we will not let anybody have them other than the United States.”

This stance suggests a major tightening of US export controls. While Trump ruled out sales of the most advanced Blackwells to Chinese companies, he hinted a less powerful version might be considered, a possibility criticized by Congressman John Moolenaar as “akin to giving Iran weapons-grade uranium.”

The restriction also impacts allies, casting doubt on Nvidia’s recent plan to supply over 260,000 Blackwell chips to South Korea, including Samsung Electronics.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang noted that global market access is crucial for funding US-based research and development.