Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has informed the U.S. government that one of its chips was found in a Huawei product, potentially violating U.S. export restrictions on the Chinese company. This disclosure came after tech research firm TechInsights conducted a teardown of a Huawei device, specifically the Ascend 910B, regarded as the most advanced AI chip produced by a Chinese company. According to sources, the TSMC chip was part of a multi-chip system within the product.
TechInsights notified TSMC about the presence of its chip in the Huawei device before releasing its findings, prompting TSMC to report the matter to the U.S. Commerce Department. The Taiwanese semiconductor firm stated that it had ceased supplying chips to Huawei since mid-September 2020 and confirmed that it had proactively reached out to the Commerce Department weeks prior. The company emphasized that, to its knowledge, no investigation involving TSMC was underway.
The discovery underscores the complexities involved in enforcing export controls, especially for companies producing highly sought-after technology, and highlights Huawei’s ongoing demand for sophisticated chips despite U.S. trade restrictions. Huawei was placed on the U.S. trade-restriction list in 2019 due to national security concerns, and the U.S. government has since maintained stringent export controls on American technology sent to the Chinese tech giant.
The U.S. Commerce Department acknowledged the reports of potential violations but declined to comment on any ongoing investigation. Multiple sources have confirmed the involvement of TechInsights in the product teardown that revealed the TSMC-manufactured chip.
As of now, TechInsights has not published its report, and both TSMC and Huawei have not provided further clarifications on how the chip ended up in Huawei’s product. Huawei has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Featured image courtesy of Nikkei Asia
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