Analyst urges treason probe into AMD over export‑controlled RFSoCs in China

A U.S. export‑controlled AMD RFSoC appears in a low‑cost Chinese system, raising pressure on the chipmaker over diversion risks and export‑control enforcement.

Semiconductor analyst Dylan Patel accused AMD of effectively dumping its Zynq UltraScale+ XCZU47DR RFSoC — a U.S. export‑controlled, dual‑use part — into China at far below U.S. pricing and called for a treason investigation. Patel highlighted a China‑based firm, Puzhi Electronic Technology, which is crowdfunding systems built around the XCZU47DR and allegedly sourcing the chips for about $1,000 versus list prices in the tens of thousands of dollars in the U.S. AMD responded that it has not directly sold or shipped these RFSoCs into restricted regions, and says it treats any such case as a potential illegal diversion by intermediaries, which it claims to investigate and report. The XCZU47DR is controlled under ECCN 3A001.a.14 because it can be used in both civilian systems (like SDR, radar, and communications equipment) and military contexts, so exports to China normally require a BIS license that is very unlikely to be granted. AMD’s acquisition of Xilinx means this part has been sold globally since around 2020, and the long lead times plus use of license exceptions to Group B countries create a supply chain environment where resale into China is plausible but hard to trace.