TSMC under investigation over chip sales to Huawei
Overseas chip makers which use US software and technology in their operations are not supposed to sell their products to Huawei under the US export ban.
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TSMC is suspected of selling phone and AI chips to Huawei. (File photo)
The US Department of Commerce is investigating TSMC over the latter's suspected sales of chips to Huawei.
The Information claims that the US Department of Commerce contacted TSMC recently to probe whether the chip maker was directly or indirectly supplying mobile and AI chips to Huawei.
The new investigation centres on the Huawei Kirin 9000s, which is said to be manufactured by the partially state-owned SMIC and powers the Mate 60 series, Mate X5 foldable phone and Pocket 2 flip phone.
Under the US export ban introduced in 2020, all overseas chip makers using US software and technology in their operations are not allowed to ship their products to Huawei unless they seek approval from the US Department of Commerce.
The export ban was extended to SMIC after the US government assessed that there was an "unacceptable risk" that equipment supplied to the Chinese chip maker could be used for military purposes.
In response to The Information's report, TSMC released an official statement that states it is a law-abiding company and "will take prompt action to ensure compliance, including conducting investigations and proactively communicating with relevant parties including customers and regulatory authorities as necessary".
Source: The Information via GSMArena
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