Shares of Nvidia have slipped after China said it is investigating the high-flying U.S. microchip company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has recently asked Nvidia to look into how the company's products ended up in China over the past year, The Information reported on Thursday, citing a person close to the department.

The United States announced a probe looking at China's use of "extensive anti-competitive and non-market means" to dominate the global market for legacy "workhorse" semiconductors and its impact on the U.

Unlike the most advanced chips used to power artificial intelligence that are currently in short supply, these legacy chips rely on older manufacturing processes and are more ubiquitous in mass-market products.

Chinese companies have been ramping up their production of chips, particularly the older types of semiconductors that continue to power a wide array of machinery and appliances. China is building more new semiconductor factories than any other country,

The US said Monday it is opening an investigation into China's policies for its semiconductor industry, over concerns around "anticompetitive" behavior.

The White House on Monday announced a trade investigation into "legacy" semiconductors made by China, less than a month before the new administration of president-elect Donald Trump takes power, that could impose additional tariffs on Chinese-made every day US consumer goods from cars to coffee makers.