U.S. officials have placed export restrictions on high-performance graphics cards destined for China, specifically those with capabilities equal to or surpassing the GeForce RTX 4090, since November 2023. These restrictions aim to limit the availability of advanced computing hardware that could be used in China for tasks such as artificial intelligence development and high-performance computing. Despite these regulations, there have been reports of limited success in preventing smuggling operations, with some high-end graphics cards being purchased in the U.S. and then discreetly sent to China. Recent developments suggest that enforcement strategies are evolving to address this issue. At Micro Center, an American electronics retailer, customers purchasing the newer RTX 5090 graphics card in California are now required to sign a document stating "NO EXPORT — NO EXCEPTIONS." This document mandates that buyers declare they will not export the card outside the U.S., regardless of the destination. It also collects personal details such as the buyer’s full name, address, photo ID, phone number, and email address. Additionally, buyers must specify where the card will be installed and its intended use. This requirement appears to be a recent policy change, as earlier this year, purchasing an RTX 5090 did not involve such a declaration. Other retailers, including Central Computers, have reportedly adopted similar measures. A customer described being required to fill out a comparable form during a purchase at Central Computers this summer. These increased checks come amid heightened efforts to curb the smuggling of high-performance graphics cards to China, following the arrest of three employees of Supermicro, a major server manufacturer, including its co-founder Yih-Shyan "Wally" Liaw. These individuals are suspected of illegally sending Nvidia equipment worth $2.5 billion to China. The effectiveness of these new measures remains unclear. The documents do not include the serial numbers of the sold graphics processing units (GPUs), and there is no indication that home inspections are being conducted. While the forms may discourage private resale, it is uncertain how much they will impact the broader issue of smuggling. The situation highlights the ongoing challenge of enforcing export controls on high-tech hardware in a global market where demand for advanced computing resources remains strong.