Traders in China are paying substantially more for Nvidia hardware that Washington has restricted from export, with black market prices for certain AI systems more than doubling over the past six months, according to reporting that relied on interviews with multiple Chinese chip traders.
Price increases on banned systems
The DGX B300 server, which contains eight Blackwell graphics processing units and typically retails in the United States for about $400,000, has reportedly risen in price from 4 million yuan to more than 8 million yuan. Separately, the RTX 6000 Pro workstation GPU - a component commonly used by startups deploying large language models - has been said to have climbed from roughly 50,000 yuan at the start of the year to as much as 130,000 yuan.
Both the RTX 6000 and the DGX B300 are listed among hardware prohibited from export to China under current U.S. chip controls. The reported price movements follow a period of heightened enforcement aimed at restricting illicit export channels.
Enforcement and a major smuggling case
In March, U.S. authorities charged the co-founder of Supermicro together with a Taiwan-based employee and a contractor, accusing them of smuggling $2.5 billion worth of Nvidia AI servers to customers in China. That indictment was described as the largest case by U.S. law enforcement related to exports of AI chips.
Market context and reporting
The reported jump in black market prices was attributed to narrowing illegal supply routes as enforcement tightened. Interviews with traders in China provided the basis for the price figures and the account of shifting market dynamics.
Key takeaways
- Restricted Nvidia systems such as the DGX B300 and GPUs like the RTX 6000 Pro have seen sharp price increases on China's black market.
- U.S. export controls prohibit the DGX B300 and RTX 6000 from being sent to China, and enforcement actions are constraining illicit channels.
- A March indictment alleged smuggling of $2.5 billion in Nvidia AI servers to China, identified as the largest U.S. law enforcement case tied to AI chip exports.
Impacted sectors
- Semiconductor hardware distribution and gray-market trading.
- AI infrastructure procurement for companies deploying large language models and related services.
- Supply chain and compliance functions tied to export-controlled technologies.