Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang sought White House approval this month to resume shipments of advanced artificial-intelligence chips to China, proposing a US$500 billion investment in domestic facilities and research as part of the talks, according to people familiar with the negotiations. President Donald Trump pushed for further concessions, underscoring Washington’s tougher stance on technology sales to Beijing. The administration ultimately cleared exports of a less-advanced Nvidia accelerator intended for the Chinese market while imposing a 15 percent sales tax on specified semiconductors sold to the country. The levy applies to products that accounted for roughly 80 percent of Nvidia’s US$5.5 billion in first-quarter China revenue, implying about US$700 million in quarterly tax payments. Beijing has yet to embrace the compromise, citing security and environmental concerns, leaving the outlook for Nvidia’s China business uncertain even after the partial export approval. China represented 13 percent of the company’s revenue last quarter. Investors have so far shrugged off the policy headwinds. Bridgewater Associates, Tiger Global Management, Discovery Capital and SoftBank Group all lifted their Nvidia holdings during the second quarter, and the chipmaker’s market value has climbed above US$4.4 trillion as shares set fresh records.