TSMC told US of chip in Huawei product after TechInsights finding, source says

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company notified the U.S. that 1 of its chips had been recovered successful a Huawei merchandise aft tech probe steadfast TechInsights took isolated the product, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance said, revealing a imaginable usurpation of export restrictions connected the Chinese company.

The teardown was of Huawei's Ascend 910B, different root said. The 910B is viewed arsenic the astir precocious AI spot disposable from a Chinese company. The archetypal root would not place the item, but said the TSMC spot was 1 wrong a multi-chip system.

TechInsights informed TSMC of the spot earlier publishing its findings successful a report, the idiosyncratic said, prompting the Taiwanese steadfast to notify the U.S. Commerce Department a mates of weeks ago.

The revelation could amusement however hard enforcing export controls tin beryllium for some companies making highly desired products and regulators. At the aforesaid time, it besides shows Huawei's sustained request for the astir blase chips.

TSMC said successful a connection connected Monday that it had proactively reached retired to the Commerce Department regarding the matter. It said it had not supplied chips to Huawei since mid-September 2020.

"We are not alert of TSMC being the taxable of immoderate probe astatine this time," the institution said.

Huawei was placed connected a U.S. trade-restriction database successful 2019 for nationalist information purposes.

TechInsights, whose study has yet to beryllium published, declined to comment.

Shenzhen-based Huawei said successful a connection it has not produced immoderate chips via TSMC aft the implementation of the U.S. rules successful 2020.

It is unclear however the spot made its mode to Huawei. In 2019, the institution released its Ascend 910 spot series. At the time, anterior to export controls, the chips were produced by TSMC, 2 sources told Reuters earlier this year.

The Information and the Financial Times person reported that the U.S. is looking into TSMC and Huawei.

The Commerce Department said successful a connection it is "aware of reporting alleging imaginable violations of U.S. export controls," but cannot remark connected whether immoderate probe is ongoing.

A 3rd root confirmed TechInsights did a teardown of a Huawei merchandise and recovered what looks similar a spot manufactured by TSMC.

"We support a robust and broad export strategy for monitoring and ensuring compliance," TSMC said successful its statement.

Taiwan's government, which has its ain pugnacious rules successful spot to halt precocious chips being produced successful China, has repeatedly said it volition guarantee Taiwanese tech companies travel U.S. rules.

"We volition person afloat connection with the company," Taiwan Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei told reporters successful Taipei connected Wednesday, without elaborating.

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