A White House official alleged on 23 July 2026 that Chinese AI company Moonshot AI obtained access to Nvidia's GB300 chips in Thailand, in what the administration described as a circumvention of U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors to China. The allegation coincides with Moonshot AI's recent release of its Kimi K3 model. The claim raises questions about the enforcement mechanisms underpinning current semiconductor export restrictions.
Separately, U.S. officials also accused Moonshot AI of covertly distilling technology from Anthropic for use in the Kimi K3 model. The White House indicated that Chinese companies engaged in large-scale AI model distillation could face sanctions and additional export restrictions as a consequence.
Nvidia's GB300 chips are the specific restricted semiconductor at the centre of the allegation. As the designer and supplier of the GB300, Nvidia is directly connected to the enforcement question — whether its advanced chips reached a sanctioned-destination entity through a third-country intermediary in Thailand.
The White House has not detailed what enforcement or sanctions actions, if any, are currently under review in relation to Moonshot AI or the Thailand-based access route. No formal regulatory determination had been published as of the time of reporting.
Sources: Cnbc TOP, CNBC, CoinTelegraph