US investigating SMIC for violation of export rules for Huawei Mate 60 Pro chip

The United States Commerce Department is investigating whether SMIC illegally obtained US tools to make the Kirin 9000S chip. According to Alan Estevez, a senior official in the department, the chip maker potentially broke export rules, but the situation is still being assessed.

The announcement comes after a congressional hearing earlier this week and reports that the Biden administration is considering a ban on 4 more chip makers…