Despite US export restrictions, Nvidia’s GPUs are easily accessible in China via the cloud. And that access is surprisingly cheaper in Tianxia than in the US. Four small-scale Chinese providers offer 8-way Nvidia A100 servers at around 40% lower costs per hour than US cloud providers. The availability of these GPUs points to widespread smuggling and a robust resale market in China.
Despite US export restrictions, Nvidia’s GPUs are easily accessible in China via the cloud. And that access is surprisingly cheaper in Tianxia than in the US. Four small-scale Chinese providers offer 8-way Nvidia A100 servers at around 40% lower costs per hour than US cloud providers. The availability of these GPUs points to widespread smuggling and a robust resale market in China.