TuSimple shared sensitive US autonomous vehicle data with Chinese partners after CFIUS agreement
TuSimple shared sensitive autonomous vehicle data with Chinese truck manufacturer Foton within a week of signing a 2022 national security agreement with the U.S. government to isolate its Chinese operations. A CFIUS investigation found the data sharing did not technically violate the agreement, though TuSimple paid a $6 million settlement for other infractions, and federal investigations by the FBI, SEC and Commerce Department were launched.
What happened
TuSimple signed an agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) in early February 2022 committing to separate its U.S. operations and technology from China-based employees and partners through firewalls and governance controls. Within a week, TuSimple engineers began sending detailed U.S. testing data, design plans and hardware schematics to Chinese truck manufacturer Foton, a state-owned entity, with files translated from English to Mandarin.
The data transfers included brake specifications, steering controls, chip requirements and files developed with American manufacturing partner Navistar, and continued for approximately six months until TuSimple's compliance deadline. According to The Wall Street Journal, documents obtained showed engineers discussing what information Foton requested, with one writing '[Foton] wants a lot of details.'
Reported impact
The data transfers reportedly constituted the blueprint of an American-made autonomous vehicle system being shared with a Chinese state-owned company, raising national security concerns about sensitive U.S. autonomous vehicle technology. Commerce Department officials also intercepted a shipment of Nvidia AI chips en route to China in connection with the company's operations.
Index analysis
A subsequent CFIUS investigation found the data sharing did not technically violate the agreement, though TuSimple was fined for other infractions. The FBI, SEC and Commerce Department launched probes into TuSimple's relationship with China-based spinoff Hydron, which was absorbing TuSimple's technology and talent.
Governance controls
CFIUS examiners visited TuSimple's Arizona offices and initially found no evidence of non-compliance with the 2022 agreement, but mounting evidence later forced a referral to the Justice Department. TuSimple was fined and paid a $6 million settlement without admitting fault.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.