Apple negotiates Chinese memory chip purchases amid US blacklist concerns

Apple is in talks with two Chinese memory‑semiconductor firms, Chengdu‑based CXMT and Yangtze Memory Technology (YMTC), to source chips for iPhones, iPads, Macs and other products sold in China. The move aims to broaden Apple’s memory supply base, which currently relies on Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, to five suppliers as AI‑driven demand squeezes the market.

Both CXMT and YMTC appear on the U.S. Department of Defense’s 1260H list, a blacklist of companies linked to the Chinese military. While no formal U.S. export licence is required for Apple to buy the chips, the negotiations have prompted the company to lobby the Trump administration, with CEO Tim Cook reportedly contacting Treasury Secretary Scott Benton and other officials to mitigate political fallout. U.S. lawmakers, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast, have warned that the deal could undermine U.S. security and AI‑competitiveness policies. Apple attempted a similar purchase in 2022 but abandoned it after facing similar objections. The talks remain ongoing with no final agreement yet.