Huawei asks some customers to source HBM for its AI chips

According to a November 3, 2026 report by The Decoder, citing The Information, Huawei is asking some customers to source the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in its AI chips themselves. The report does not say that this request applies to a particular chip or specifically to the Ascend 960DT. It also reports that Huawei plans to launch the new Ascend 960DT early next year.

How is Huawei trying to overcome memory supply difficulties?

According to the report, Huawei’s Chinese suppliers cannot produce enough HBM for AI chips. US export rules also prevent direct purchases from Samsung and SK Hynix. The Decoder reports that the two companies control more than 80% of the global HBM market.

In the smuggling method described in the report, HBM is packaged with low-end server processors whose performance falls below the export threshold. These packages are shipped to China via Hong Kong; once they arrive, memory chips are removed from the processors in workshops. The report says the separation process has a high failure rate, but the potential profit makes the method attractive to smugglers.

The request for customers to source memory is discussed in the context of Huawei’s broader supply difficulties. No direct link is established between this request and the Ascend 960DT. Huawei is reported to have said that its new chip will double the performance of its existing products; this is the company’s own performance claim.

How much does smuggled HBM3E cost?

The report, citing a broker in Shenzhen, says the unit price of smuggled HBM3E rose from a few hundred dollars to around $4,000 over the course of a year. This is the price reported for smuggled supplies; it is not presented as the market price of HBM3E across all sales channels.

An AI chip may use six to eight HBM units. Based on the unit price cited in the report, memory alone could cost up to $32,000. This figure is the reported upper limit for memory costs, not the total cost of the chip or system.

Smuggled supply does not come only from this packaging method. According to the report, the supply chain also includes older Nvidia GPUs dismantled for their components, as well as inventory left over from projects chip designers have canceled or orders they have reduced. South Korean customs authorities reportedly identified $560 million in trade violations through May. The report says this exceeded the previous full-year record, and that one-third of the violations involved strategic goods, such as unauthorized exports or misdeclaration.

What does this mean for architecture and visualization workflows?

This development concerns the supply of memory used in AI chips, not an architectural software update. For architecture firms and visualization teams using AI hardware, it is important to consider not only accelerator selection but also the memory requirements of the chip and the availability of that memory. The report provides no information about compatibility with specific architectural software, prices in Turkey, or local supply conditions.

When requesting a quote for a new system, confirm the memory type and capacity, supply channel, and hardware compatibility separately. The reported price of smuggled HBM should not be interpreted as the price of products sold through legal channels in Turkey. The source also provides no data to conclude that other manufacturers face the same supply problem as Huawei.