Singapore says U.S. firms should comply with export controls following DeepSeek chip questions

Singapore says U.S. firms should comply with export controls following DeepSeek chip questions


Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said in a statement Saturday that it expects U.S. companies to comply with U.S. export controls and local laws, following questions over the chips used by China’s DeepSeek to produce its AI model.

Markets were rocked this week after DeepSeek claimed its large language model outperforms OpenAI’s but cost a fraction of the price to train. However, questions were soon raised over the provenance of the semiconductors used to build DeepSeek’s R1 reasoning model given U.S. restrictions on exporting advanced AI chips in China. 

DeepSeek’s AI claims have shaken the world — but not everyone’s convinced

Bloomberg on Friday reported that U.S. officials were investigating whether DeepSeek had bought advanced semiconductors from chipmaker Nvidia via third parties in Singapore.

A Nvidia spokesperson told CNBC Monday that the chips used by DeepSeek were fully export-compliant. DeepSeek was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

“We expect US companies, like Nvidia, to comply with US export controls and our domestic legislation. Our customs and law enforcement agencies will continue to work closely with their US counterparts,” MTI said in its statement.

“We have always upheld the rule of law, and acted decisively and firmly against individuals and companies that flout the rules.”

The DeepSeek AI application is seen on a mobile phone in this photo illustration taken in Warsaw, Poland on 27 January, 2025. 

U.S. lawmakers in ‘uncharted waters’ as DeepSeek tests limits of American trade restrictions

In its third-quarter results published in November, Nvidia said that Singapore accounts for almost 22% of its revenue but added that: “most shipments associated with Singapore revenue were to locations other than Singapore and shipments to Singapore were insignificant.”

MTI cited Nvidia’s comments in its Saturday statement and said the chipmaker said there was no reason to believe that DeepSeek had obtained any export-controlled products via Singapore.

“Singapore is an international business hub. Major US and European companies have significant operations here. Nvidia has explained that many of these customers use their business entities in Singapore to purchase chips for products destined for the US and other Western countries,” MTI added.

— CNBC’s Ryan Browne contributed to this report.



Source

Stablecoins go mainstream: Why banks and credit card firms are issuing their own crypto tokens
Technology

Stablecoins go mainstream: Why banks and credit card firms are issuing their own crypto tokens

A $44 billion IPO. A Senate bill with bipartisan momentum. And now, a wave of Fortune 500 firms launching crypto tokens of their own. Stablecoins — once a niche corner of the cryptocurrency world — are entering the corporate and policy mainstream, potentially reshaping how money moves in the United States and around the world. […]

Read More
At 20 years old, Reddit is defending its data and fighting AI with AI
Technology

At 20 years old, Reddit is defending its data and fighting AI with AI

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman stands on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after ringing a bell on the floor setting the share price at $47 in its initial public offering (IPO) on March 21, 2024 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images For 20 years, Reddit […]

Read More
Bigger bitcoin HODL: Time for 10% to 40% of portfolio in crypto, says financial advisor Ric Edelman
Technology

Bigger bitcoin HODL: Time for 10% to 40% of portfolio in crypto, says financial advisor Ric Edelman

Four years ago, financial advisor Ric Edelman went out on a limb in saying everyone should hold cryptocurrencies. But how much? Low single digits was his recommendation. In his “The Truth about Crypto” book in 2021, Edelman said as low as a 1% allocation was reasonable. A lot has changed. This week, Edelman said financial […]

Read More