Apple seeks Trump administration exception to buy RAM from blacklisted Chinese supplier CXMT
Tags Infrastructure · Enterprise · Consumer
Apple has asked the Trump administration for permission to purchase RAM chips from CXMT (Changxin Memory Technologies), a company blacklisted by the Pentagon over ties to the People's Liberation Army, according to the Financial Times. The request comes after Apple raised prices on nearly all products this week due to soaring RAM and storage costs driven by AI data center demand. House China Committee chair John Moolenaar warned that partnering with a Chinese military company would be a 'grave mistake.' The 16-inch MacBook Pro price increased by $300 and the iPad Air went from $599 to $749.
Technical significance
This highlights the tension between AI-driven memory supply chain constraints and national security policy. If approved, it would set a precedent for other tech companies seeking exceptions to entity list restrictions, potentially reshaping semiconductor supply chain dynamics. The memory shortage has already forced price increases across the industry, with Xbox prices climbing 25% and Nothing canceling a phone launch entirely.