Taiwan has imposed restrictions on the export of chips to South Africa, citing national security concerns.

First reported by Bloomberg, Taiwan’s trade regulator now requires pre-approval for the majority of chips destined for South Africa.

The decision follows attempts by the South African government to pressure Taiwan into moving its embassy from the country’s capital of Pretoria to Johannesburg, the report added, noting that the relocation efforts – which began in 2023 – have intensified as China-partnered South Africa prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping as one of the attendees of the G20 leaders’ meeting in November.

In a statement, Taiwan’s International Trade Administration said: “The South African government’s actions have undermined our national and public security. We are adopting measures to restrict trade to maintain our sovereignty.”

Chrispin Phiri, a foreign ministry spokesperson for South Africa, said in a statement to Bloomberg: “South Africa is a critical supplier of platinum group metals, like palladium, essential to the global semiconductor industry. Our current economic diplomacy is fundamentally shifting how we engage in the global value chains."

A separate report from the Taipei Times quoted official data from Taiwan showing that the country exported around $4 billion-worth of semiconductor-related goods to South Africa in 2024. Taiwanese chip companies produce about 60 percent of the world's chips, but more than 90 percent of leading-edge chips, including Nvidia's data center GPUs.

The move marks the second time this year Taiwan has imposed export restrictions on chips made on the island. In June 2025, the Taiwanese government announced it had added Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) to its export control list, bringing it into line with US trade policy.