Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang starts a key trip to South Korea — here's what he might be up to

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is headed to South Korea, 1 of the company's astir important markets, up of gathering determination betwixt U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

For Huang, it's expected to beryllium a travel that mixes concern and authorities with a gathering with Trump connected the cards arsenic good arsenic execs from South Korea's biggest firms specified arsenic Samsung and SK Group.

Market watchers volition besides beryllium looking retired for clues arsenic to Nvidia's aboriginal successful China.

Here's what mightiness hap this week with Nvidia.

South Korea is location to 1 of Nvidia's astir important suppliers: SK Hynix. The institution develops alleged high-bandwith memory, oregon HBM, a circumstantial benignant of semiconductor that goes into Nvidia's high-end AI systems.

Among the execs that Huang is expected to conscionable is SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Yonhap reported. SK Group is SK Hynix's genitor company.

The gathering could beryllium a accidental to sermon aboriginal HBM development. Rival Samsung besides develops HBM but its merchandise has not been certified by Nvidia for use. A treatment astir the advancement connected Samsung's HBM could beryllium connected the cards arsenic Huang said Tuesday helium would conscionable with the company.

Huang has been connected a satellite circuit this twelvemonth visiting countries successful the Middle East, Europe and Asia. More often than not, Nvidia has announced infrastructure deals during these trips, outlining however the tech elephantine volition proviso its coveted graphics processing unit-based products to information halfway projects.

On the sidelines of the Nvidia developers' league held successful Washington connected Tuesday, Huang said his institution is partnering with with Samsung and autoamker Hyundai "in galore ways" including investing successful "AI factories" — a term utilized to describe information centers.

SK Telecom, different subsidiary of SK Group, is currently gathering information centers successful South Korea. Nvidia is readying to proviso its chips to SK Group, Bloomberg reported, citing radical acquainted with the matter.

Other areas wherever Nvidia whitethorn denote plans could beryllium driverless cars and robotics, a large country of absorption for South Korea's tech industry.

And for Huang, it's not conscionable astir business. Geopolitics volition beryllium a large focal constituent arsenic Huang's travel coincides with a planned gathering betwixt Trump and Xi successful South Korea.

Trump called Huang "an unthinkable guy" during a code astatine the APEC Summit successful South Korea. Separately, Trump said helium volition conscionable with the CEO connected Wednesday.

This week could beryllium important for providing insights connected Nvidia's aboriginal successful China. The tech elephantine was antecedently banned from exporting its AI chips to China until earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile the Trump medication ended the restrictions. While Nvidia is permitted to export its downgraded H20 spot to China, Beijing has reportedly pushed section companies not to acquisition it. Instead, China is pushing its section firms to buy home Nvidia alternatives.

Trump connected Wednesday signaled that Nvidia's Blackwell AI processors could beryllium up for treatment with Xi.The Blackwell spot is Nvidia's astir precocious merchandise and is not presently allowed to beryllium exported to China.

"Trump wants to bash concern with China and helium considers astir everything is concern including Nvidia," George Chen, spouse and co-chair of the integer signifier astatine The Asia Group, told CNBC connected Wednesday.

"We whitethorn spot China wants immoderate benignant of warrant that the U.S. volition not adhd determination trackers into U.S. chips to beryllium sold to China ... The U.S. whitethorn besides person its ain demands successful return, hence Nvidia present becomes 1 of the bargains for the 2 presidents successful Korea."

Chinese regulators successful July raised concerns astir the security of Nvidia chips successful July. The world's second-largest system is simply a lucrative marketplace for Nvidia and being unopen retired has already cost the tech elephantine billions of dollars successful mislaid sales. Any opening up of the China marketplace volition beryllium affirmative for the spot maker.