The ban did its job at first as it forced Huawei to use 4G application processors for its flagship phones such as the P50, Mate 50, and P60. But China’s largest foundry (and the third-largest foundry in the world) SMIC was able to produce the Kirin 9000s using its two-generation old 7nm node for the 2023 Mate 60 series. This was the first Huawei flagship to sport a homegrown SoC since 2020’s Mate 40 line. More concerning to U.S. lawmakers was the chipset’s ability to support 5G.
“We proactively communicated with the US Commerce Department regarding the matter in the report. We are not aware of TSMC being the subject of any investigation at this time.”-TSMC
Last year’s Mate 60 series was powered by a Huawei-designed and SMIC-produced 5G chip. | Image credit-Huawe
Republican Congressman John Moolenaar said, “Reports that cutting-edge TSMC-manufactured chips have contributed to Huawei’s AI development represent a catastrophic failure of US export control policy.”
Moolenaar went on to say, “AI accelerators, like the one that these chips fueled, are at the forefront of our technology race with the CCP, and I fear the damage done here will have significant consequences for our national security. Congress needs immediate answers from both BIS and TSMC about the scope and volume of this disaster. The US government must take immediate steps to ensure this does not happen again.”
TSMC has notified the U.S. and Taiwanese governments and is running its own investigation. It’s also not clear whether TSMC’s client sent the chips to Huawei per the Chinese manufacturer’s request.