Apple Seeks US Approval to Source Memory Chips from China's CXMT
Apple is asking the U.S. government for clearance to buy memory chips from Chinese DRAM maker CXMT, aiming to ease supply shortages and rising costs driven by AI demand. The proposal is politically sensitive as CXMT is on the Pentagon's Chinese Military Company blacklist, though no current law bans purchases.
Apple is seeking U.S. government approval to purchase DRAM memory chips from ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), a Chinese manufacturer, according to the Financial Times.
The move is intended to address supply shortages and rising memory chip costs, which have been exacerbated by surging demand from artificial intelligence applications.
CXMT is listed on the Pentagon's Chinese Military Company blacklist, making the request politically delicate. However, there is no existing legal prohibition on such purchases. If approved, the deal could diversify Apple's memory supply chain and reduce its reliance on Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix.
Source: First Squawk