Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Report Says Inspur Routed U.S. AI Technology Through Southeast Asia
The United States has rules that limit China’s access to the most powerful computer chips.
Inspur, a large Chinese technology company, was placed on a U.S. blacklist in 2023.
Soon afterward, its California operation changed its name to Aivres but kept the same offices and employees, according to the report.
Aivres then exported billions of dollars’ worth of advanced computers and equipment to Southeast Asia.
More than $3 billion of those exports reportedly involved Nvidia’s powerful Blackwell chips.
Some of the technology went to data centers and companies that served Chinese technology firms.
Another company called Maginfra imported more than $700 million in servers into China from Malaysia.
U.S. officials are looking into the activity, but it is unclear what action they have taken.
Critics say the network may have used gaps in export rules, while U.S. officials and Nvidia say they support lawful, controlled sales.
Inspur Group was added to the U.S. entity list in March 2023 over national-security concerns.
Its California subsidiary, renamed Aivres, exported at least $5.6 billion in advanced technology to Southeast Asia from April 2024 through February 2026.
More than $3 billion of the reported exports involved computers containing Nvidia Blackwell chips and related equipment.
Trade records linked the technology to Southeast Asian data centers and companies serving Alibaba, ByteDance and other Chinese customers.
U.S. officials are examining Aivres, while the administration and Nvidia say export controls and compliant sales remain in place.
- Who
- Inspur Group, its U.S. subsidiary Aivres, Southeast Asian technology firms, Chinese companies, U.S. officials and Nvidia are central to the report.
- What
- Aivres allegedly exported advanced U.S. technology through Southeast Asia to a network serving Chinese customers despite Inspur’s U.S. blacklist status.
- When
- Inspur was blacklisted in March 2023; the reported Aivres exports occurred from April 2024 through February 2026.
- Where
- The activity involved the United States, China, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia and California.
- Why
- The reported network may have exploited gaps involving subsidiary names, company addresses and Chinese companies’ remote access to overseas data centers.
Critics and Investigators
U.S. Administration and Industry
Whether the network bypassed export controls
Critics and Investigators
Trade analysts and researchers said the links among Inspur, Aivres, Maginfra and Southeast Asian firms resembled a state-sponsored network for bypassing U.S. restrictions.
U.S. Administration and Industry
The administration said it had established the most rigorous export-control regime in modern history and remained committed to protecting national security.
Whether the reported sales were compliant
Critics and Investigators
The reported shipments, subsidiary changes and transfers through Southeast Asia suggest that the network may have exploited gaps in U.S. rules.
U.S. Administration and Industry
Nvidia said it sells to known partners, opposes diverted products and works to ensure that sales comply with export-control requirements.
Remote access to overseas data centers
Critics and Investigators
Officials and industry observers worry that Chinese access to advanced AI systems could support hacking, surveillance and military operations.
U.S. Administration and Industry
The Trump administration rolled back some Biden-era restrictions on Chinese companies remotely accessing data centers abroad, while Nvidia said the business supports U.S. jobs and generates substantial revenue.
- U.S. blacklist
- The United States added Inspur Group to its entity list in March 2023, restricting exports to it without a special license.
- Reported exports
- Aivres exported at least $5.6 billion in advanced technology to Southeast Asia from April 2024 through February 2026.
- Blackwell equipment
- More than $3 billion of the reported exports involved computers containing Nvidia Blackwell chips and related equipment.
- Southeast Asian recipients
- Trade records identified data centers and technology firms serving Chinese companies including Alibaba and ByteDance.
- Maginfra imports
- Maginfra imported more than $700 million in servers from Malaysia into China during a six-month period.
- U.S. inquiry
- Federal officials have begun examining Aivres, but the status of the inquiry is unclear.
- Company response
- Nvidia said it does not support diverted products and works with known partners to ensure sales follow U.S. export-control rules.
