Apple wants permission to buy memory from a blacklisted Chinese supplier
Apple is seeking U.S. government approval to purchase memory chips from Chinese supplier CXMT, which is currently blacklisted due to national security concerns. The request highlights Apple's efforts to diversify its supply chain amid ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China.
Background
- **CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies)** is a Chinese DRAM (memory chip) maker placed on the U.S. "Entity List" in 2024, restricting American companies from trading with it without a special license. Apple now needs a U.S. government waiver to buy memory chips from CXMT.
- **DRAM** is the type of memory used in iPhones, Macs, and data centers. Currently, Apple relies heavily on Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.
- This request shows Apple trying to diversify its supply chain away from South Korean and American suppliers — possibly for cost reasons or to access the massive Chinese market more smoothly.
- The "Entity List" is a U.S. Commerce Department blacklist for companies deemed a national security risk. If the waiver is denied, Apple cannot legally buy CXMT memory.
- The move is notable because it puts Apple in the middle of U.S.-China chip tensions: it wants to buy from a sanctioned Chinese firm that the U.S. government has accused of being a conduit for Chinese military technology development.