It turns out that TSMC was manufacturing Huawei's AI chips, which could violate US export controls

It has been revealed that Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC has been producing AI chips for Chinese company Huawei. TSMC's production of Huawei-designed chips may violate US export controls, and TSMC is said to have notified the US Department of Commerce immediately after the issue was discovered.

Exclusive: TSMC told US of chip in Huawei product after TechInsights finding, source says | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/technology/tsmc-told-us-chip-huawei-device-after-techinsights-finding-source-says-2024-10-22/

Huawei Technologies' Latest AI Processors Were Made by TSMC - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-22/huawei-technologies-latest-ai-processors-were-made-by-tsmc

The United States has severely restricted the export of high-performance semiconductors to China and is asking foreign companies that use 'U.S.-made semiconductor manufacturing equipment' to also restrict exports to China. As a result, TSMC is also unable to export high-performance semiconductors to China.

However, when TechInsights , a semiconductor research firm, disassembled a Huawei product, it was found that it contained semiconductors manufactured by TSMC.

According to an anonymous source who provided information to Reuters, TSMC's semiconductors were included in Huawei's AI chip 'Ascend 910B.' The predecessor to the 'Ascend 910B,' the ' Ascend 910 ,' was heavily promoted as being manufactured using TSMC's 7nm process, but the 'Ascend 910B' was a model released after Huawei was designated as a target for U.S. export controls, and TSMC was not supposed to have been involved in its manufacturing.

TSMC told Bloomberg, 'We have not supplied products to Huawei since mid-September 2020. We have contacted the US Department of Commerce, but we are not aware at this time that we have been subject to an investigation.' Huawei also commented, 'We have not requested TSMC to manufacture products since the US Department of Commerce targeted us with export controls in 2020.'

The United States is reportedly strengthening its semiconductor export controls on China and pressuring its allies, including Japan, to fall in line.

US lawmakers pressure Japan to 'tighten export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China' - GIGAZINE

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Shortly after it was reported that TSMC's semiconductors were being used in Huawei's AI chips, it was revealed that TSMC had halted shipments of semiconductors to the Chinese company SOPHGO.

Immediately after it was reported that TSMC's semiconductors were used in Huawei's AI chips, TSMC stopped shipments to the Chinese company SOPHGO, and it is possible that SOPHGO was acting as an intermediary to make semiconductors - GIGAZINE