14th July 2026 – (Santa Clara) Nvidia has reportedly reduced by more than half the number of Asian customers permitted to purchase its artificial intelligence chips after introducing a stricter compliance “white list”, according to the Financial Times.
The move follows heightened efforts to ensure that advanced U.S.‑made semiconductors do not reach China through intermediary markets. The newspaper, citing three people familiar with the matter, said the U.S. chipmaker has intensified due diligence procedures in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan over recent months.
Under the revised system, only companies that pass enhanced compliance checks are approved to buy Nvidia’s high‑end processors. More than half of its previous regional clients — particularly emerging cloud service providers — were excluded during the initial review. Those removed may reapply once they have addressed compliance concerns.
The tighter vetting comes amid a broader crackdown by the Trump administration aimed at blocking advanced American chips from reaching Chinese entities via third countries. In May, the U.S. Commerce Department issued fresh guidance designed to prevent sophisticated AI semiconductors from being supplied to overseas subsidiaries of Chinese firms. The department has expressed concerns that Nvidia’s latest Blackwell processors may have been channelled to Chinese‑linked organisations in countries such as Malaysia despite existing export restrictions.
According to the Financial Times, Nvidia has strengthened its internal controls in response to pressure from Washington. Compliance teams are now said to conduct on‑site visits to customers’ data centres, examine contractual arrangements and interview end users before approving sales. The U.S. Commerce Department is reportedly providing oversight and political support for the measures.