US authorities are investigating Apex Logistics for allegedly facilitating unauthorized transshipment of Nvidia chips to China.
US authorities are investigating Singapore-headquartered Apex Logistics over the suspected diversion of Nvidia-powered artificial intelligence servers to mainland China through Southeast Asian transshipment hubs. The inquiry focuses on cargo handled in 2024 and could mark the first US enforcement action against a commercial freight company for illicit semiconductor trade.
Swiss logistics group Kuehne+Nagel, which purchased a majority stake in Apex in May 2021 and acquired the remaining shares in October 2025, confirmed the subsidiary is assisting with the investigation. The parent company stated it has not been contacted directly by US investigators, characterizing the probe as an isolated issue concerning specific past shipments.
Investigators are examining a supply line that moved Nvidia-powered server hardware from Taiwan to the United States, dispatched it to a destination in Southeast Asia, and then forwarded it to Hong Kong. From there, ground carriers transported the equipment across the border into mainland China. The US inquiry centers specifically on the leg between American ports and Southeast Asian distribution points.
Apex acknowledged US scrutiny regarding a limited batch of cargo moved during 2024 that reached prohibited destinations. The company stated it is cooperating with investigators and maintains compliance protocols across its network. Apex was founded in Shanghai in 2001 and registered its corporate entity in Singapore in February 2016.
The servers under review were assembled by California-based Super Micro Computer. Super Micro maintains no direct contract with Apex, as the freight forwarder was engaged directly by third-party buyers purchasing the hardware.
Washington has restricted direct sales of advanced AI processors to China since 2022, expanding those curbs to include custom chips such as the H20 amid national security and military computing concerns. As export controls tightened, enforcement agencies have increased audits on cross-border logistics firms that handle transshipment routes across Asia.
Freight forwarders across Singapore and Malaysia now face heightened compliance checks from Western trade officials seeking to close multi-leg shipping channels. On August 23, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stated that the country will not permit illicit trade through its facilities, while noting that ports cannot audit the full manufacturing chain of every container in transit. The US Commerce Department is currently reviewing freight documentation from the 2024 shipments to determine whether formal export violation penalties apply.