英伟达被进一步反垄断调查，意味着什么？

Core Viewpoint - The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has determined that NVIDIA has engaged in illegal concentration of operators, leading to further investigation to assess competitive harm and formulate an administrative penalty plan [2][5]. Group 1: Investigation Details - SAMR announced that after a preliminary investigation, NVIDIA violated the Anti-Monopoly Law of the People's Republic of China and the conditional approval announcement regarding NVIDIA's acquisition of Mellanox Technologies [2][5]. - The further investigation will evaluate the competitive harm and is based on the Operator Concentration Review Regulations that took effect on April 15, 2023 [5][6]. - NVIDIA is required to submit relevant documents and materials to SAMR within 30 days of receiving the written notice, and SAMR must complete the further investigation within 120 days of receiving these submissions [5][8]. Group 2: Background on the Acquisition - NVIDIA's acquisition of Mellanox was completed in March 2019, making Mellanox a wholly-owned subsidiary of NVIDIA, with both companies holding monopolistic positions globally [6][7]. - The acquisition was approved with additional restrictive conditions by SAMR in April 2020, requiring NVIDIA and Mellanox to fulfill seven obligations over six years, including fair supply of products to the Chinese market [7][8]. Group 3: Potential Penalties - The Anti-Monopoly Law stipulates severe penalties for illegal concentration, including orders to cease the concentration, divest assets, and fines of up to 10% of the previous year's sales if competitive harm is found [8]. - For cases of particularly malicious or severe violations, fines can be increased to between two to five times the standard penalty, potentially reaching up to 50% of the previous year's sales [8].