Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visits TSMC in Taiwan for a brief meeting ahead of the company’s earnings release

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang touched down in Taipei on Friday to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the key builder behind the company’s most advanced chips. The visit was brief but timed right before Nvidia’s upcoming earnings report next Wednesday.

According to Reuters, the meeting comes while the chipmaker is juggling production halts, regulatory red flags, and geopolitical tension tied directly to the U.S.–China tech war.

Jensen told reporters live at Taipei’s Songshan Airport that the only reason for his trip was TSMC. He landed on a private jet, planned to stay a few hours, have dinner with TSMC’s leadership, and leave by night. “My main purpose coming here is to visit TSMC,” he said, standing next to the runway.

Jensen also confirmed he was invited to deliver a private speech requested by TSMC. The chipmaker said the talk would focus on Jensen’s “management philosophy” and didn’t share any more details.

Nvidia halts H20 production after Chinese regulators raise security flags

The backdrop of this meeting wasn’t subtle. Jensen arrived just as Nvidia quietly told multiple partners to stop working on its H20 chip, the export-friendly model designed for China after Washington cracked down on AI hardware sales in 2023.

That chip had just received a green light from U.S. regulators in July to reenter China’s market, and Jensen immediately placed an order for 300,000 units through TSMC to replenish stock. But almost overnight, China’s cyberspace watchdog and state-run outlets accused the chip of posing security risks.

Chinese tech companies were then urged to reconsider buying the H20. That was enough to freeze momentum. Nvidia denied any national security issues, saying the chip had no backdoors. But damage control started.

Nvidia told Foxconn to stop working on anything linked to the H20, according to Reuters. Another unnamed manufacturer was told to hold off so Nvidia could work through its already-made inventory before starting new production.

Things escalated. Arizona-based Amkor Technology, which handles advanced chip packaging, was instructed to pause H20 work. Samsung Electronics, Nvidia’s supplier for high-bandwidth memory, got the same message. When asked about the production halt, Jensen confirmed:

“We have a significant number of H20 chips prepared and are now waiting for purchase orders from China customers. When we receive the orders, we will be able to purchase more.”

Nvidia issued a follow-up through its spokesperson, saying the company regularly manages its supply based on market conditions. “As both governments recognise, the H20 is not a military product or for government infrastructure.” Jensen added that selling the H20 in China should not be viewed as a security threat and that “the ability to ship the H20 chips to China was very much appreciated.”

TSMC finalizes six next-gen Nvidia chips as China waits on B30A

Beyond managing the H20 crisis, Jensen confirmed that TSMC had finished finalizing designs—also known as “tape-outs”—for six new Nvidia chips. This includes a new graphics processor and a silicon photonics processor, both of which will power Nvidia’s upcoming Rubin-architecture supercomputers. “This is the first architecture in our history where every single chip is new and revolutionary,” Jensen said. “We’ve taped out all of the chips.”

These Rubin chips are already in TSMC’s pipeline and represent a full lineup refresh. No reused components. Everything’s new. And while China waits on the sidelines, Nvidia is already developing the next product aimed at its biggest export headache. Reuters reported the company is designing a new chip called the B30A. It’s built on the more advanced Blackwell architecture and is expected to outperform the H20.

When asked about the B30A, Jensen admitted the company is in discussions with Washington. He didn’t overpromise. “It’s up to, of course, the U.S. government, and we are in dialogue with them, but it is too soon to know.” The message was clear: even if the B30A is ready, the decision to sell it in China doesn’t belong to Nvidia.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump floated the possibility of allowing sales of more advanced Nvidia chips beyond the H20 in China. He also reached a deal with both Nvidia and AMD. Under the agreement, the U.S. government would receive 15% of revenue from certain advanced chip sales to China.

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