US blacklists company that ordered TSMC chip found in Huawei processor

US President Joe Biden’s administration added more than two dozen Chinese entities to its restricted trade list on Wednesday, including a company whose TSMC-made chip was illegally incorporated into a Huawei artificial intelligence processor.

Sophgo and other entities linked to it were among 25 China-based companies and two Singapore-based companies added to the US Commerce Department’s Entity List, according to government postings. Companies on the list cannot receive goods or technology exports without a licence, which is generally denied.

Sophgo drew attention after a chip found on Huawei’s Ascend 910B multi-chip AI system matched one it ordered from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

Sophgo is among numerous companies that have been punished for helping Huawei. Late last year, the Commerce Department added other companies viewed as part of Huawei’s shadow network to the restricted trade list.

Sophgo, an affiliate of bitcoin mining equipment supplier Bitmain, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nor did Huawei.

In a statement on its website posted after the initial allegations, Sophgo said it “has never been engaged in any direct or indirect business relationship with Huawei.”