Apple Pushes to Purchase Chinese CXMT Chips Amid Memory Price Surge

Apple is reportedly lobbying to secure memory chips from CXMT, a Chinese memory semiconductor company on the US blacklist, due to pressure from soaring memory semiconductor prices. Financial Times reported that Apple is seeking Trump administration approval to purchase chips from CXMT, citing increased demand for advanced DRAM driven by AI data center investments. This has led to long-term supply shortages and price spikes for memory in consumer electronics like iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads. Apple recently raised prices for its MacBooks and iPads by 20%, causing its stock to drop by $263 billion within a day. While Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron dominate global DRAM markets, Apple is seeking CXMT as a new supplier to mitigate costs. However, CXMT faces strict U.S. government scrutiny as it is listed in the '1260H' blacklist linked to Chinese military ties. Though the U.S. Department of Commerce previously considered placing CXMT on its Entity List, sanctions were paused during trade negotiations. Apple has since engaged in extensive lobbying efforts with U.S. officials and allies, but no guarantees have been secured.