Apple Reportedly Testing Chinese Chipmaker CXMT's DRAM for China-Bound Devices
Quick Look
- Apple is reportedly testing DRAM chips from China's CXMT for devices sold in China, despite CXMT being blacklisted by the US Defense Department due to alleged ties to the Chinese military.
- Apple is lobbying the US government for permission to use these chips.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Apple is reportedly testing DRAM chips from Chinese manufacturer CXMT, which has been blacklisted by the US Defense Department due to alleged ties to the Chinese military. This testing is for devices intended for sale within China.
Apple has reportedly started testing DRAM chips made by ChangXin Memory Technologies, Inc. (CXMT), which was recently blacklisted by the Defense Department, for devices meant to be sold within China. According to Financial Times, Apple has already progressed to testing the company's memory chips with its devices, while it's still lobbying the US government to give it permission to use CXMT's products.
The Times first reported that Apple was looking to buy DRAM from the Chinese chipmaker in late June. Just earlier that month, Pentagon added CXMT to its 1260H blacklist made up of companies it believes are linked to the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Reuters reported in mid-June that the Trump administration held off on adding CXMT, along with other Chinese companies like DeepSeek, to the blacklist in order to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing. However, the latest copy of 1260H from the Defense Department's website clearly includes ChangXin Memory Technologies, Inc.
In its report, the Times explains that CXMT was pretty unknown globally and was bleeding billions before the industry's memory shortage problem had thrust it into the spotlight. It's now the fourth largest producer of DRAM in the world, after Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron. The company has 15 state-owned shareholders at the moment, at least, and most of its privately owned funds are backed by state-owned partners. It reportedly plans to raise $4.3 billion in an upcoming IPO.
Open Questions
- Will the US government grant Apple permission to use CXMT chips?
- What is the performance of CXMT's DRAM chips?
- How will this impact Apple's supply chain strategy?
