The Financial Times reports that prices for Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) used in artificial intelligence have risen to more than twice their previous levels on the Chinese black market. Local traders quoted by the paper said the increase was driven directly by tightened U.S. export controls, which have made legal imports of the newest-generation semiconductors into China substantially harder.
According to the traders cited by the Financial Times, exceptionally strong demand for high-performance GPUs—necessary for training and running AI models—combined with constrained procurement channels. As a result, an increasing number of Chinese developers and technology firms have turned to gray- and black-market sources to keep their projects on schedule.
The episode illustrates how geopolitical tensions and trade restrictions can have immediate effects on technology supply chains: the sizable premiums paid for semiconductors obtained outside official channels reflect the pressure faced by participants in China’s tech sector. The Financial Times also notes that other sources have not yet been able to independently verify the traders’ claims.
The reporting underscores that the impact of import restrictions goes beyond a one-time price shock: higher acquisition costs and elevated risks may affect the economics and pace of AI development in China and add complexity to the global semiconductor supply chain.
(Source: Financial Times.)
