Taiwan Prosecutors Raid Unimicron Over China-Made Circuit Board Labeling
Taiwan prosecutors raided Unimicron Technology's headquarters and a factory, investigating allegations that the company relabeled China-made printed circuit boards as Taiwan-made. Fourteen executives and employees were summoned, with several released on bail. The probe continues, and no charges have been announced.
Taiwan's Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office has launched an investigation into Unimicron Technology, accusing the company of shipping China-made printed circuit boards to Taiwan and relabeling them to show Taiwan as the country of origin. Prosecutors searched Unimicron's headquarters in Guishan District, Taoyuan City, and a manufacturing plant in Zhongli District, summoning 14 executives and employees for questioning. No charges have been announced, and the investigation is ongoing. The alleged conduct may violate criminal code provisions on document forgery and false labeling of product origin.
A general manager surnamed Wang from Unimicron's PCB division was released on bail of NT$15 million (about US$474,000), and a deputy general manager surnamed Wu was released on bail of NT$12 million. Three other individuals posted bail ranging from NT$300,000 to NT$5 million, while the remaining nine were released without bail. Unimicron spokesman Chung Ming-feng said the company is fully cooperating with the investigation into the product origin dispute.
Unimicron's printed circuit boards and advanced packaging materials are widely used in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and smartphone markets. The company is one of the major producers of Ajinomoto build-up film (ABF) substrates, which are used in high-performance computing, AI, and smartphone chips, and it also makes PCBs. Nvidia and Intel are both Unimicron customers, but it is unclear whether either company is linked to the products in question, whether the boards were exported to the United States, or whether the case involves ABF substrates.
The investigation comes as US officials intensify scrutiny of technology supply chains linked to China, particularly those involving advanced AI hardware.