Prosecutors in Keelung, Taiwan, announced Monday that nine people have been formally charged for illegally exporting high‑end artificial‑intelligence (AI) servers to mainland China. The indictment includes one Nvidia employee identified only by his family name and two former staff members of Super Micro Computer.
Export‑control violations
Under Taiwan’s export‑control regime, any sale of advanced AI servers—machines that house the powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) needed for modern AI workloads—requires a strict licensing review. The prosecutors said the servers in question contained the B300 GPU, a component that has been prohibited for sale to China.
Documents from the Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office indicate that purchases of more than eight such servers trigger on‑site inspections by company staff. The investigation found that 74 servers successfully reached China, with 50 routed through Indonesia, 16 shipped directly, and eight first sent to Japan before being transferred to Hong Kong and then mainland China.
Failed shipment and alleged deception
A second attempt to move 56 servers was intercepted; those units remain in Taiwan. Prosecutors allege that some defendants established a shell company in Japan to facilitate the transfer of eight servers and that others created fraudulent websites and falsified documentation to evade export restrictions.
Potential penalties
Four of the nine defendants face the maximum five‑year prison term. One of the accused, a Nvidia manager known only as Chang, was described as the “key figure” who authorized the release of the B300 GPUs and showed a “clearly poor attitude” after the offense.
Corporate responses
Nvidia issued a statement saying it will cooperate with Taiwanese authorities to resolve the allegations promptly. Super Micro said the arrests of its former employees resulted from its cooperation with the investigation and affirmed its commitment to strengthening its export‑compliance program to protect American innovation.
The case underscores the growing tension in the global AI supply chain, where the United States has tightened export restrictions on advanced chips and related equipment to China since 2022.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
