Semiconductor manufacturers TSMC, Intel, and AMD have all suspended sales to Russia, as a part of US sanctions against the country over the invasion of Ukraine.
Customers of certain Russian banks have seen Apple Pay stop working for them, and the US sanctions now include those being imposed by semiconductor makers, including Apple’s main processor partner, TSMC.
The Washington Post reports that TSMC has suspended direct sales to Russia, as well as third-parties known to supply products to the company. Reportedly, an unnamed source familiar with the company, said that TSMC has ceased sales while it examines sanction conditions to ensure full compliance.
“[TSMC] is fully committed to complying with the new export control rules announced,” the company told the Washington Post in a statement.
TSMC is not only a manufacturer of Apple Silicon and iPhone processors, it also manufactures chips for multiple other countries. The company is the producer of Elbrus-branded chips that are designed in Russia and used by the country’s military and security services.
Intel, AMD, and others have joined TSMC in halting sales to Russian clients. The Semiconductor Industry Association told the Washington Post that all of its members were “fully committed to complying” with the rules “in response to the deeply disturbing events unfolding in Ukraine.”
“While the impact of the new rules to Russia could be significant,” notes the group’s president John Neuffer, “Russia is not a significant direct consumer of semiconductors, accounting for less than 0.1% of global chip purchases.”
(Via AppleInsider)