The U.S. Department of Commerce announced today that all semiconductors (AOS) involved in shipping to China in violation of export control regulations and agreed to pay 4.25 million US dollars (about NT$120 million) to reach a settlement with the Department of Commerce.
According to Reuters, the Ministry of Commerce announced that Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOS) has been transferred to Hua without obtaining permission to transfer 1,650 power controllers, smart power modules and related accessories. Hua was included in the US trade control list in the same year. The Ministry of Commerce announced that although these products are designed and produced by foreign countries, AOS is still included in export controls because it is shipped from the United States. Suppliers must obtain permission first when shipping to so-called Entity List companies.
AOS said: "The settlement case does not affect AOS operations, and it also allows the US government to conduct more than five years of investigation plan."
AOS submitted documents to the U.S. Securities and Administration Commission (SEC) earlier this year, and the U.S. government has been investigating transactions between AOS and China since 2019. The document stated that the Ministry of Justice concluded its investigation in January 2024 and did not file a notice, and the civil investigation of the Ministry of Commerce is still underway. AOS said in April, the Ministry of Commerce sent a letter to AOS for suspected violation of export controls and then discussed possible solutions.
AOS is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, USA. It also has a spot in Asia. It has a wafer factory located in Hillsboro, Orega.