New York, January 17, 2026, 17:25 (EST) — The market has closed.
- Nvidia shares slipped 0.44% on Friday. Trading will pick back up Tuesday following the U.S. market holiday.
- According to a report, Chinese customs has blocked shipments of H200 chips into the country, causing some suppliers to halt production.
- Tariff and policy headlines are drawing attention again as Nvidia’s Feb. 25 earnings approach.
Nvidia shares slipped 0.44% to close at $186.23 on Friday following reports that Chinese customs blocked imports of its H200 chip, the company’s second most powerful AI processor. The Financial Times reported that parts suppliers have halted production. Reuters couldn’t immediately confirm the story, and Nvidia didn’t respond to requests for comment. According to the report, Nvidia had anticipated over 1 million orders from Chinese clients, with suppliers gearing up to ship as early as March. 1
The episode shifts focus back to China, where demand for advanced AI chips meets changing policies. According to the Financial Times, a customs ruling in Shenzhen caught suppliers off guard, sparking concerns that specialized components might pile up in inventory if shipments stall. 2
Trade tensions are escalating. On Saturday, South Korea’s trade minister revealed that a U.S. proclamation has slapped a 25% tariff on certain advanced computing chips, including Nvidia’s H200 and AMD’s MI325X. Notably, memory chips— South Korea’s main export—were left out. Still, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo warned, “It’s not yet time to be reassured,” citing lingering doubts over a possible second phase. 3
Chip stocks climbed in the last U.S. session, despite the broader market mostly holding steady ahead of the long weekend. The Philadelphia Semiconductor index added 1.2% on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finishing close to unchanged. U.S. markets will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. 4
Washington hinted the semiconductor tariffs might be just the beginning. A White House official called the 25% tariff a “phase one” move, warning that more steps could come as talks with countries and companies press on. 5
Volatility looms as a key near-term factor for Nvidia’s shares following January’s monthly options expiry. Options give investors the right to buy or sell stock at predetermined prices by certain dates. According to Reuters, options strategists note that up to a quarter of all Nvidia options contracts were set to expire this Friday. “(That is where) I suspect options are probably going to weigh more heavily on the price action of the underlying asset,” said Mike Khouw, strategist at YieldMax ETFs. 6
Separately, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress offloaded 47,640 shares on Jan. 13, according to a Form 4 filing. The sales brought in roughly $8.8 million. The filing noted the transactions followed a Rule 10b5-1 plan—a pre-set schedule for insiders to trade—put in place on March 4, 2025. 7
The bigger threat for investors lies in policy, not paperwork. Should China tighten customs restrictions into a full ban or broaden the scope to other products, what’s now a shipment delay could quickly morph into a serious revenue and supply-chain problem—right as earnings season kicks off.
Traders are gearing up for a shortened U.S. week with a packed earnings calendar. Reports coming from big names like Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel could shake risk appetite and ripple through high-beta tech stocks like Nvidia. 8
Nvidia’s next key date is Feb. 25, when it is set to release its fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results, per the company’s investor relations calendar. Investors will be focused on any shifts in guidance about demand from China and the impact of trade restrictions on orders and shipments. 9
