Trump administration discourages Apple from sourcing memory chips from Chinese firms

Apple wanted cheaper memory chips. Washington said no. On August 14, 2026, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made it clear that the Trump administration is “not in favor” of Apple purchasing memory chips from Chinese manufacturers ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC). The move effectively boxes Apple into relying on pricier alternatives at a time when AI-fueled demand is driving memory costs sharply higher across the industry. Apple had been testing CXMT’s DRAM chips and negotiating with YMTC for NAND supply, reportedly with an eye toward using them in products sold outside the US. A supply chain under a microscope Apple first raised the topic with the Trump administration back in June 2026, seeking clarity on whether sourcing from these Chinese firms would be permissible. YMTC has sat on the Commerce Department’s Entity List since 2022, which restricts US companies from doing business with it without a special license. CXMT joined the Pentagon’s list of Chinese Military Companies in 2025, adding another layer of regulatory and reputational risk to any deal Apple might pursue. A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter around July 29, 2026, d...