A US Commerce Department investigation into a possible sanctions breach by TSMC could spell trouble for Apple, as its chip partner could face penalties that ultimately harm production of iPhone and Mac chips.
A TSMC factory sign – Image credit: TSMC
A TSMC factory sign – Image credit: TSMC
The United States placed sanctions against Huawei in 2020, blocking the company from accessing components from US companies without approval from the Commerce Department. This also prevented Huawei from using chips made with US-sourced equipment, a restriction that may now cause problems for TSMC, and by extension, Apple.
The US Commerce Department contacted TSMC in early fall, a source of The Information claims, to query if the chip maker was involved making smartphone chips or AI chips for Huawei.