Gigabyte in trouble with taiwan for exporting products to iran

A Gigabyte subsidiary has been fined by Taiwan's regulatory authorities for exporting products to Iran through Hong Kong without proper permits, which has set off alarms.

Gigabyte in trouble with Taiwan authorities for exporting products to Iran

Local media in Taiwan report that one of Gigabyte's subsidiaries responsible for manufacturing network and telecommunications equipment shipped "strategic high-tech products" to Iran without proper permits. Although Gigabyte has a branch in Iran and sells many of its products, including servers and motherboards, within the country, it has not applied for a telecommunications equipment export permit from the Taiwan Foreign Trade Office.

Police searched one of Gigabyte's offices earlier in the week and interviewed a number of key personnel and managers. Yi Tai Li, the director of the subsidiary, was released with a bonus of 200, 000 NTD ($ 6, 500), while a subordinate was released after paying a bonus of 50, 000 NTD ($ 1, 644).

No charges have been filed against the company, nor against any of its employees, but the matter is still under investigation.

For its part, Gigabyte says the products ended up in Iran as part of an administrative oversight on its part due to problems with its ERP software and the customs broker it uses. In an official statement to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, the company called it a mistake and said the products were not sold within Iran and were immediately returned to Taiwan. He also said that the value of the merchandise was less than $ 2, 500.

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In general, Taiwan follows the United States' guidelines on export restrictions and embargoes to Iran, although it maintains active diplomatic relations. The Foreign Trade Office has an extensive list of materials whose export to Iran is prohibited, although common Taiwan exports, such as motherboards and AIBs, are not on that list. 2017 Taiwan announced a total ban on trade with North Korea.

Gigabyte sources say the issue has been exaggerated by local Taiwan media, and that the problem with the ERP software and the customs broker had been identified and resolved last year. They hoped that the matter would be dismissed without charge or a fine.

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