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US Charges Four in AI Chip Export Scheme
21 Nov
Summary
- Four individuals charged in scheme to illegally export Nvidia AI chips.
- The indictment details exporting 400 Nvidia A100 GPUs to China via Malaysia.
- A bill to track chip exports is being urgently pushed after the bust.
U.S. authorities have indicted four individuals, including two U.S. citizens and two Chinese nationals, for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to illegally export advanced Nvidia AI chips to China. The scheme, which utilized a Tampa company as a front and involved nearly $4 million in wire transfers, aimed to circumvent export restrictions.
Between October 2024 and January 2025, the defendants allegedly facilitated the shipment of 400 Nvidia A100 GPUs to China by routing them through Malaysia. Law enforcement successfully intercepted attempts to export Hewlett-Packard supercomputers equipped with Nvidia H100 GPUs and separate Nvidia H200 GPUs through Thailand.
In response to this case, a leading House Republican emphasized the urgent need for the bipartisan Chip Security Act. This legislation seeks to enhance oversight by requiring location verification for chips and mandating that chipmakers report potential diversions, aiming to bolster national security and technological superiority.
