Demand in China has begun surging for a business that, in theory, shouldn't exist: the repair of advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chipsets that the U.S. has banned the export of to its trade and tech rival.

Despite U.S. bans, Chinese buyers spent over $1B on smuggled NVIDIA AI chips like the B200, openly sold on Chinese social apps.

Nvidia’s restricted B200 AI chips, worth $1 billion, were shipped to China in just three months following Trump’s tightened export controls, according to Seeking Alpha. The chip is the most sought-after and widely available U.