Taiwanese prosecutors have charged nine people, including individuals from Nvidia and Super Micro, for illegally exporting high-end AI servers containing banned graphics processing units to mainland China. Court documents and reports from the Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office and the Associated Press detail the case.
Taiwan Charges Nine Over B300 Server Exports to China
Advanced semiconductors manufactured primarily in Taiwan remain a primary battleground for trade restrictions between Washington and Beijing. The case highlights the intense global friction surrounding artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Washington Tightens Rules as B300 Hardware Banned
Washington began restricting shipments of advanced chips to mainland China in 2022, systematically tightening those rules in subsequent years. By April 2025, U.S. regulations mandated strict licensing requirements for Nvidia’s H20 chips before permitting certain sales to resume later that year.
Any transaction involving high-end AI servers—the foundational computing infrastructure required to drive AI workloads—demands rigorous regulatory review under current export control guidelines. According to documents released by the Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office, purchases exceeding eight high-end AI servers require corporate personnel to conduct mandatory on-site compliance checks at the client’s location.
Investigators stated that the shipments at the center of the indictment involved graphics processing units designated as “B300,” a hardware tier explicitly barred from sale to mainland China.
Circuitous Routes and Front Companies Bypass Controls
Prosecutors detailed a complex logistics network used to bypass international trade barriers. They noted that 74 servers ultimately arrived in mainland China.
The network utilized circuitous routes to evade detection:
50 servers were routed through Indonesia. 16 were delivered directly to mainland China. Eight were first shipped to Japan before moving through Hong Kong to reach their final destination.
A separate attempt involving an additional 56 servers was intercepted and ultimately failed. Those units remain secured within Taiwan, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Investigators noted that some of the defendants established a front company in Japan to facilitate the successful transfer of the eight servers routed through that country. Others allegedly built fake websites and falsified shipping manifests to deceive trade authorities.
Nvidia and Super Micro Employees Named in Indictment
Prosecutors are pressing for the maximum five-year prison sentence for four of the nine defendants.
An Nvidia manager identified by his family name, Chang, is among them. Prosecutors labeled Chang the central figure who authorized the release of the restricted B300 GPUs, adding that he demonstrated a poor attitude following the offense. The indictment also ropes in two former employees from server manufacturer Super Micro.
Corporate Responses and Compliance Audits
Corporate representatives moved quickly to address the fallout from the charges.
Nvidia spokesperson Patrick Rutherford issued a written statement saying, “We will work with the Taiwan authorities to help them resolve the allegations as quickly as possible.”
Super Micro released a separate written statement confirming that the arrests of its two former employees stemmed directly from the company’s internal cooperation with Taiwanese investigators.
