PCMag · Michael Kan ·

The US DOJ charges a Chinese national and two Americans for allegedly trying to smuggle ~$62M worth of export-controlled A100 and H100 Nvidia chips into China

The US has disclosed a new Nvidia chip-smuggling case that also seems to involve San Jose-based server manufacturer Supermicro.

The US DOJ charges a Chinese national and two Americans for allegedly trying to smuggle ~$62M worth of export-controlled A100 and H100 Nvidia chips into China

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Feds Bust $62M Nvidia Chip Smuggling Ring Bound for China

DOJ charges three for allegedly trying to sneak export-controlled A100 and H100 GPUs into China.

The Department of Justice has charged three individuals — a Chinese national and two Americans — for allegedly attempting to smuggle approximately $62 million worth of Nvidia's export-controlled A100 and H100 chips to China.

The high-end AI accelerators have been restricted from export to China under US trade controls designed to limit Beijing's access to cutting-edge AI hardware. That hasn't stopped people from trying.

The case also appears to involve San Jose-based server manufacturer Supermicro, adding another layer to an already messy situation. Details on Supermicro's exact role remain thin.

Nvidia's A100 and H100 GPUs are among the most sought-after chips on the planet, powering everything from AI training clusters to advanced research. Black market demand has surged since export restrictions kicked in, making smuggling operations increasingly lucrative — and increasingly risky.

Three people just found out how risky.