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ARTICLE · 08 AUGUST 2025

Latest DOJ Export Control Enforcement Action Highlights China Risks

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The Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce recently announced a $140 million resolution of criminal and civil charges against Cadence Design Systems for admitted export control violations relating to transfers of semiconductor design hardware and software tools to a restricted Chinese university.

United StatesInternational Law
Matthew G. Olsen
Matthew G. Olsen
Jason Chipman
Jason Chipman
Barry Hurewitz
Barry Hurewitz
Shervin Taheran
Shervin Taheran
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Commerce recently announced a $140 million resolution of criminal and civil charges against Cadence Design Systems (Cadence) for admitted export control violations relating to transfers of semiconductor design hardware and software tools to a restricted Chinese university.

This resolution signals that the US government is continuing to focus on national security risks arising from transfers of sensitive technologies to adversary nations. As the first corporate criminal plea following DOJ's March 2024 revised NSD Enforcement Policy for Business Organizations (NSD Enforcement Policy), the case demonstrates that companies involved with US technology transfers to certain countries, particularly China, should be prepared to navigate an aggressive regulatory enforcement environment.

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