Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration Opposes Apple's Procurement of Chinese Memory Chips

The Trump administration has officially voiced its opposition to Apple potentially sourcing memory chips from Chinese manufacturers, including Changxin Integrated Circuits (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC). U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross explicitly stated that the administration does not endorse such a move and has communicated this stance to Apple.

This development comes amid a severe global shortage of memory chips, which has driven up prices and pressured consumer electronics manufacturers like Apple. The demand for these critical components has surged, partly due to the construction of artificial intelligence data centers. Apple has reportedly been testing chips from CXMT and YMTC, possibly as a precursor to using Chinese-made memory chips in devices destined for the Chinese market.

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The Trump administration does not approve of Apple doing this, and the memory chip shortage problem must be solved by other means, but not by large U.S. companies using Chinese-made products to cope.

Ross emphasized that the memory chip shortage requires alternative solutions and that U.S. companies should not be the ones to address it by adopting Chinese-made products. He confirmed that this position has been conveyed to Apple. The administration's stance reflects a broader concern about U.S. reliance on Chinese technology and a desire to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

Apple, while declining to confirm the testing of Chinese chips, acknowledged the severity of the supply shortage and the need to explore all options, including increasing domestic production with existing suppliers. The company's operations chief suggested that Apple might opt for off-the-shelf Chinese memory chips rather than highly customized ones. Meanwhile, U.S. memory chip giant Micron Technology has urged the Trump administration to block Apple's potential use of Chinese chips, arguing it could harm domestic production and undermine efforts to reshore the semiconductor industry.

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We have to consider all options.