Nvidia to sell 260,000 Blackwell AI chips to South Korea; the chips US has ‘national security’ restrictions on

Nvidia has made a landmark deal to supply more than 260,000 Blackwell AI chips to South Korea. As reported by Reuters, the deal comes despite the chips being subject to US national security export restrictions, underscoring the strategic importance of AI hardware in global tech alliances. The report adds that the chips made by Nvidia will be distributed across South Korea’s public and private sectors, including players like Samsung, SK Group and Hyundai Motor Group, to power large-scale AI data centers and “AI factories.” These facilities are said to support advancements in robotics, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure and autonomous vehicles.

Navigating US restrictions