China’s AI Chip Price Surge: How the HBM Shortage is Reshaping Domestic Hardware Tariffs
Amid tightening US export controls, Chinese AI chip companies are increasingly relying on grey markets for advanced High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), paying several times the price of international buyers.
AsiaAI Publisher
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September 10, 2026 ·
2 min read · Source: 科技新報 TechNews · Issue #92
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This story ran in Issue #92, alongside three other stories.
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Amid tightening US export controls, Chinese AI chip companies are increasingly relying on grey markets for advanced High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), paying several times the price of international buyers. This surge in HBM costs is being passed on to customers, with Huawei’s latest Ascend 950DT AI accelerator chips now quoted at over 250,000 RMB (approx. $37,255), representing a 20% to 50% increase in just two months. Smaller Chinese AI chipmakers like Cambricon, MetaX, and Iluvatar CoreX are also raising prices for their new and older generation chips.
The global HBM shortage, exacerbated by US export controls restricting direct access for Chinese firms, is putting significant pressure on China’s domestic AI chip industry. This forces Chinese companies to procure critical components through less conventional channels at inflated prices, impacting their competitiveness and potentially slowing their AI development trajectory.
