C4ADS traces Nvidia chip routes into China

American nonprofit C4ADS identified three main channels for restricted Nvidia AI accelerators reaching China: purchases by research institutions, drop-shipping through Southeast Asian countries, and shell-company structures. The findings cover hardware moving despite U.S. limits on H100, A100 and Blackwell-family chips and Chinese policies discouraging purchases of American AI hardware.

One route runs through Chinese universities and research institutions, which allegedly include Nvidia GPUs in broad multi-vendor contracts handled by regional integrators. C4ADS tracked 56 chips worth $1.7 million sold this way between July 2025 and January 2026, and said a prior 2024 review found $6.48 million worth of similar shipments over multiple years.

Another channel routes hardware through Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, India and Malaysia. C4ADS found $13.4 million of Nvidia A100, H100/GH100 and AD102-series GPUs moving through those countries between 2022 and 2025, with some shipments continuing to Hong Kong.

The largest category centers on opaque ownership structures. C4ADS said Megaspeed International accounted for $4.6 billion worth of Nvidia hardware moving toward China from 2023 to 2025, while its ownership remained unresolved. The group recommended more resources for the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security and stronger end-user verification, including ownership tracing and post-shipment checks.