Apple has started testing DRAM chips from CXMT, a Chinese memory maker recently blacklisted by the US.
The Financial Times reports that Apple has begun testing CXMT’s memory chips in its own devices while simultaneously lobbying the US government for permission to use the components more broadly.
That blacklist entry follows the Pentagon’s decision in early June to add CXMT to its 1260H list, which names companies believed to hold links with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
Reuters had reported in mid-June that the Trump administration was holding off on the addition to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing, though the Defence Department’s most recent version of the list now clearly includes the chipmaker.
CXMT was largely unknown outside China and had been losing billions of dollars annually before a global memory shortage pushed the company into the spotlight, the Financial Times notes, as global chip demand accelerated.
The chipmaker has since become the fourth largest producer of DRAM worldwide, trailing only Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, while relying on at least 15 state-owned shareholders for backing and additional privately held funds tied to state-backed partners.
The company is reportedly preparing to raise $4.3 billion through an upcoming initial public offering, a move that would further cement its position among the world’s leading memory manufacturers as global demand for memory chips continues to climb.
Apple’s position under US export rules
Apple is not technically barred from doing business with companies on the 1260H list, CXMT included, though it could face political and regulatory repercussions without explicit approval from the Trump administration.
Apple reportedly approached US officials about the CXMT partnership in late May or early June and has since leaned on its Washington connections in hopes of securing formal approval from the White House.
Securing chips from CXMT could help Apple manage an ongoing global memory shortage, even though the company already sources DRAM from Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix and has still raised prices across its iPad and Mac lineups.
Apple is expected to face objections from Congress if the White House grants approval, with US Representative John Moolenaar already describing the potential partnership as a grave mistake for national security.
No timeline has been set for when Apple might receive government approval to use CXMT’s chips, leaving the outcome tied to broader trade discussions between Washington and Beijing in the months ahead.
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