TLDR:
- Nvidia chip approval remains unconfirmed: MIIT reportedly told some firms Beijing plans to approve purchases, while Reuters said it could not verify the report.
- The RTX Pro 5500 is a workstation-focused chip with fewer high-speed links and less fast memory than Nvidia’s leading data center products, The Information reported.
- ByteDance reportedly weighs an order of about one million units; The Information did not disclose Alibaba’s requested volume or confirm either company’s order.
- Nvidia targets shipments from late December and about 500,000 units per quarter for China, while approval timing and buyer allocations remain unclear.
China may allow selected companies, including ByteDance and Alibaba, to purchase Nvidia’s RTX Pro 5500. It named no additional company buyers. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology asked some firms about desired chip volumes. It also asked how they planned to use the hardware. The ministry has told some companies Beijing intends to approve purchases, according to Reuters.
This possible Nvidia chip approval concerns a workstation product, rather than one of Nvidia’s leading data center accelerators. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Authorities have not publicly confirmed final approval, purchase limits, or review standards.
Nvidia Chip Approval Could Include RTX Pro 5500 Orders
That Nvidia chip targets high-end professional computers used by engineers and designers alike. Nvidia released the chip only this month. It shares a core design with Nvidia’s top gaming graphics card.
However, it lacks high-speed links and the fast memory common in data center products. Still, The Information reported that some Chinese buyers plan to install the chips in servers. One configuration would place eight cards in each server, allowing them to work together on larger models.
ByteDance is weighing an order of about one million RTX Pro 5500 units. Reuters cited two people familiar with the matter. That figure remains provisional and could change with Beijing’s decision and Nvidia’s available supply. ByteDance did not publicly confirm an order in the report.
One buyer planned to use the cards to run AI models for customers, the report said. As cited by Reuters, buyers plan server installations for AI workloads, despite the Nvidia chip’s design for professional workstations.
Nvidia plans to begin shipping its RTX Pro 5500 units to buyers in China in late December this year. It targets about 500,000 units per quarter for China. Nvidia sales staff reportedly urged customers to place orders by September 30 to secure supply. If Beijing approves a large order, fulfillment could extend across multiple quarters.
The timing matters for firms seeking new Nvidia chip capacity, though no delivery schedule exists for ByteDance or Alibaba. The report did not specify how officials would set each buyer’s allocation.
China Weighs Computing Demand Against Chip Access Rules
Chinese AI companies expand chatbots and software agents, increasing demand for computing capacity. The inquiries are to selected firms, not a nationwide clearance. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has not publicly announced a blanket policy change. Firms may need to explain their demand before receiving permission to import the Nvidia chip.
China has encouraged domestic chipmakers and limited Nvidia chip purchases over national-security concerns, complicating access to U.S. hardware. Beijing barred large Chinese tech firms from buying the RTX Pro 6000D. Smaller firms could still purchase it. Authorities previously told ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent to pause Nvidia GPU orders during a security review.
In July, Beijing told ByteDance, Alibaba, and DeepSeek they could seek limited H200 purchases if they explained their needs. For the quarter ended July 26, H200 sales contributed under 1% of Nvidia’s data center revenue from China.
U.S. export controls pose a separate question. Reportedly, Washington had not publicly addressed whether the RTX Pro 5500 avoids those restrictions. Nvidia’s forecast for the current quarter excludes data center revenue from China.
Two chip buyers reportedly sell the product locally for 85,000 to 90,000 yuan, roughly $13,000. They placed that price near Huawei’s Ascend 950PR, which launched earlier this year, according to buyers. Those quotes came from buyers, not Nvidia.