Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Settles $4.25M Export Violation Over Huawei Shipments

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOS) has agreed to pay $4.25 million to the U.S. Department of Commerce for violating export regulations by shipping restricted components to Huawei Technologies. According to a department order released Wednesday, AOS unlawfully transferred 1,650 power controllers, smart power stages, and accessories to Huawei in 2019, the same year the Chinese tech giant was placed on the U.S. Entity List.

Despite the items being foreign-designed and manufactured, they were exported from the United States and thus fell under U.S. export controls. Suppliers dealing with companies on the Entity List are required to obtain special licenses, which AOS failed to secure. The company, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a fabrication plant in Hillsboro, Oregon, emphasized that the resolution closes a five-year civil investigation without affecting current operations.

In a statement, AOS expressed relief at concluding the matter, describing the charges as limited administrative export control violations. The company previously disclosed in an SEC filing that the U.S. Department of Justice closed its criminal investigation in January 2024 without charges, though the civil probe by the Commerce Department continued.

AOS received a letter from the Commerce Department in April 2025 alleging regulatory breaches and subsequently engaged in discussions to reach a resolution. The U.S. government expanded export restrictions in 2020 to include certain foreign-made products shipped to Huawei, tightening enforcement on technology transfers to Chinese firms.

This case underscores Washington’s ongoing crackdown on unauthorized tech exports to Huawei, a company seen as a national security threat due to its alleged ties to the Chinese government. The settlement highlights the risks for U.S. and global firms operating in sensitive sectors amid heightened geopolitical scrutiny.