Relying on chips from Asia has also complicated the U.S. drive for technological dominance. That's why President Joe Biden hit the chip industry with a complex web of export controls meant to keep China from pulling ahead with advanced tech.
In October, some TSMC chips were spotted in Huawei devices, despite bans on selling to the Chinese company.
"This problem is as old as time," Newman said. "There's a lot of complex rerouting of goods to get gray market to different countries that have limited access to leading edge or the most advanced technology."