Testing times for US as ill-judged tariff attack is only piling further misery on its woes

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's recent visit to China underscored the critical importance of the Chinese market for the United States' tech giant, with Huang emphasizing the company's commitment to continued collaboration with China despite the mounting challenges imposed by successive US administrations.

Just days before Huang's visit, the US Department of Commerce imposed licensing requirements on Nvidia's H20 chip, along with AMD's MI308 chip and similar artificial intelligence technologies destined for China. A move that signals a broader crackdown on semiconductor exports to China, casting an even darker shadow over the future of tech trade relations between the two nations.

US President Donald Trump's casual dismissal of concerns surrounding Nvidia's operations in China, contrasts sharply with his administration's proposed "new basket" of semiconductor tariffs, coupled with its tighter export restrictions, which signal it is ramping up the stringent tech policies initiated by its predecessor.