Reports say Nvidia chips kept reaching China after Inspur blacklist

In short: Even after the US put Inspur on an export blacklist, reporting says Nvidia chips still made their way to Chinese buyers through Inspur-linked entities and other middlemen.

What's going on

The US added Inspur Group, a large Chinese tech company, to its export blacklist in March 2023. The US said Inspur had acquired, or tried to acquire, US-made items to support China’s military modernization. In simple terms, the US was trying to stop advanced computing gear from helping the Chinese military.

At the time, officials also worried about a basic workaround. Inspur has subsidiaries and related companies, and sales to those smaller units could still create risk if the products later moved back to the blacklisted parent company. It is like blocking shipments to one store, but worrying that nearby stores owned by the same chain could pass goods along through a back door.

Later reporting supported those concerns. Reuters reported in July 2024 that Nvidia planned to work with Inspur on the launch and distribution of a new chip made for the China market. Reuters also reported more broadly that Chinese vendors were obtaining restricted Nvidia chips through intermediaries, including firms set up in places like Singapore, Taiwan, and India.

The available reporting does not prove that every shipment by any one subsidiary was illegal. Whether a deal breaks US rules depends on the specific product, the buyer, and whether a license was granted.

What to watch

The US has continued efforts in 2025 and 2026 to close loopholes, including routes that use overseas subsidiaries and third parties. Watch for tighter rules, more companies added to blacklists, and stronger checks on where advanced chips end up.

Source: NYTimes