Taiwan prosecutors charge nine for smuggling AI servers to China

Taiwanese prosecutors have charged nine individuals, including one Nvidia employee and two former Super Micro staff members, for allegedly smuggling high-end AI servers to mainland China. The shipments involved B300 graphics processing units, which are currently banned from sale to China under existing export restrictions.

According to the Keelung District prosecutors' office, 74 servers successfully reached China via three distinct routes: 50 were sent through Indonesia, 16 were delivered directly, and eight were routed through Japan and Hong Kong. An additional attempt to export 56 servers was intercepted and remains in Taiwan.

The case highlights the intensifying technological competition between the United States and China regarding AI infrastructure and semiconductor supply chains. Under current regulations, the export of high-end AI servers requires strict review processes and, for purchases exceeding eight units, mandatory on-site client checks. Nvidia stated it will work with Taiwanese authorities to resolve the allegations, while Super Micro noted that the arrests of its former employees resulted from its cooperation with local authorities.