China acquired recently banned Nvidia chips in Super Micro, Dell servers, tenders show

Chinese universities and research institutes recently obtained high-end Nvidia artificial intelligence chips through resellers, despite the U.S. widening a ban last year on the sale of such technology to China.

A Reuters review of hundreds of tender documents shows 10 Chinese entities acquired advanced Nvidia chips embedded in server products made by Super Micro Computer Inc., Dell Technologies Inc. and Taiwan's Gigabyte Technology Co Ltd after the U.S. on Nov. 17 expanded the embargo to subject more chips and countries to licensing rules.

Specifically, the servers contained some of Nvidia's most advanced chips, according to the previously unreported tenders fulfilled between Nov. 20 and Feb. 28. While the U.S. bars Nvidia and its partners from selling advanced chips to China, including via third parties, the sale and purchase of the chips are not illegal in China.

The 11 sellers of the chips were little-known Chinese retailers. Reuters could not determine whether, in fulfilling the orders, they used stockpiles acquired before the U.S. tightened chip-export restrictions in November.

Contacted by Reuters, Nvidia said the tenders specify products that were exported and widely available before the restrictions. "They do not indicate that any of our partners violated the export control rules and are a negligible fraction of the products sold worldwide," a spokesperson said.

The server makers said they complied with applicable laws or would investigate further.

Among the buyers were the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shandong Artificial Intelligence Institute, Hubei Earthquake Administration, the Shandong and Southwest universities, a tech investment firm owned by the Heilongjiang provincial government, a state-run aviation