Vietnamese stores stockpiling RTX 4090 to scalp China as US sanctions ramp up

Stores are reportedly stocking up on RTX 4090 and other Nvidia GPUs to scalp the Chinese market, as the US increases sanctions.

A Vietnamese seller has been photographed with a massive stockpile of RTX 4090s, Nvidia’s flagship graphics card. The seller is taking advantage of the current ongoing situation between China and the US, where Biden’s government has placed strict sanctions on the country.

In a post on X/Twitter, I_Leak_VN uploaded photos of staff stacking 4090s into a pile and sitting in front of it. The post indicates that multiple stores in the region are also planning or acting the same, as the sanctions get stricter.

Vietnam itself is on a sanctioned list. The country has more licenses needed by the US to even import Nvidia chips. That’s just intended for domestic sales, not then exporting elsewhere.

The RTX 4090 has been targeted by the Biden administration, as it has enough horsepower to run advanced AI projects. Among the bans were Nvidia’s official solutions to AI and workstation PCs, but the 4090 made the cut for a ban.

With the sanctions in place, it means China can’t get hold of imported GPUs to help develop their own AI technology. However, months ago Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, warned the government that China would simply fabricate their own.

China steams ahead in developing own tech as US Nvidia GPU sanctions increase

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In recent months, Chinese companies have already begun to flaunt their own hardware, like processors. Huawei, which was run out of the West over security fears, has also begun to show signs of breakthroughs.

The RTX 4090 is currently the most powerful consumer card you can buy. In our review, we noted just how powerful it is for gaming, which barely begins to scratch the surface of what it can provide AI and other programs.

It doesn’t look like the US will let up its sanctions any time soon, as the world of AI falls into and pulls itself out of turmoil.