Taiwan to Criminalize Unauthorized AI Chip Exports to China

Taiwan plans to add advanced AI chips and servers to its controlled-items list under the Foreign Trade Act, making unauthorized exports to China a criminal offense. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is drafting the amendments, but no implementation date is set pending cross-agency coordination.

• Violations would carry up to 5 years in prison instead of fines of NT$60,000–3,000,000
• The current list covers 12 categories but excludes AI chips and servers
• The change fulfills a February 2026 US-Taiwan trade agreement obligation
• Announcement came a week after a guilty plea in a $2.5B server smuggling case