Nvidia Demands Supermicro Strengthen Export Controls for China Shipments

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang issued a statement demanding that partners, including Super Micro Computer, strictly adhere to U.S. export control regulations. This follows an investigation by U.S. authorities into Supermicro’s co-founder and two other individuals accused of smuggling Nvidia chip-equipped servers to China through shell companies in Southeast Asia. The total value of the equipment is estimated at $2.5 billion.

Huang emphasized that Nvidia insists on full compliance with trade laws by all partners. "We require our partners to operate within the law. We expect them to strengthen controls and prevent such incidents in the future," he told reporters at Taipei’s airport. Meanwhile, Taiwanese authorities announced their first major investigation into illegal exports of Supermicro servers with Nvidia AI chips to China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The Taiwanese investigation is not directly linked to the U.S. case but involves similar violations. Supermicro co-founder Yi-Shian Liao, who is accused in the U.S., denies wrongdoing, and the company stated it is not a defendant and is cooperating with authorities. Huang also confirmed that China remains a key market for Nvidia despite restrictions. He noted that the H200 chip has received approval for shipments to China, though no batches have been delivered yet, with around 10 Chinese companies already cleared for procurement.

Huang arrived in Taipei ahead of the GTC Taipei event and his keynote at Computex on June 1, where he plans to unveil the Vera Rubin platform. He described it as "Taiwan’s largest product in history," highlighting that each NVL72 system contains nearly 2 million components and involves around 150 local partners.