Smugglers solder HBM onto useless chips

Smugglers reportedly solder Samsung and SK hynix HBM3E onto useless processors to bypass export rules, selling stacks for about $4,000. This method exploits a December 2024 BIS exclusion for co-packaged chips where processing is not the dominant function, allowing high-bandwidth memory to enter China attached to low-performance logic before being separated in local workshops.