Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang defends Singapore firm ties amid US chip export probe
Jensen Huang stated Nvidia's dealings with Singapore's Megaspeed International were "normal" after reports of a former executive's alleged role in evading US export rules to China.
Nvidia confirms 'normal' dealings with Megaspeed
Jensen Huang, Chief Executive Officer of Nvidia Corp, addressed the chipmaker's relationship with Singapore-based Megaspeed International on 30 October 2026. Huang affirmed that Nvidia's dealings with Megaspeed were "normal and not unusual".
This statement follows a New York Times report alleging that a former executive of the Singapore firm is under investigation for spying on behalf of China. Nvidia has conducted checks to ensure Megaspeed did not illegally transmit its artificial intelligence (AI) processors to China, with Huang noting the company "studied all their deployments of our GPUs and counted every one."
US export controls and investigation context
Current US export regulations forbid China from purchasing Nvidia's powerful AI chips, specifically graphics processing units (GPUs). The US government is reportedly investigating Huang Le, a former Megaspeed executive, for allegedly acting as a Chinese agent to circumvent these chip export restrictions.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun dismissed the New York Times story as "unsubstantiated and purely a smear against China" during a briefing in Beijing. Huang clarified that his interactions with Huang Le, who is no longer with Megaspeed, were typical for Chinese customers.
Impact on Nvidia's China market access
The increasing geopolitical rivalry between the US and China has led Washington to impose stricter controls on key American technology exports. These restrictions have limited Nvidia's access to China, which has historically been a significant market for semiconductors.
While the company received some allowance under the Trump administration to ship a limited quantity of older AI-related products to the Asian country, these shipments have not been material. This limited uptake is partly due to Beijing's own initiatives to cultivate its domestic chip industry.
Supply chain oversight for chipmakers
Despite Nvidia's compliance efforts, export restrictions have resulted in investigations and charges related to alleged smuggling of its advanced products to China.
Nvidia has previously described this as an "insignificant issue." Megaspeed is among several companies that Bloomberg News and other publications have reported may have attempted to illegally divert chip shipments, originally intended for data centres outside China, into the country.
This ongoing scrutiny highlights the need for rigorous supply chain oversight by chipmakers to prevent unauthorised diversions and ensure adherence to international trade regulations.
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