Apple Tests Banned CXMT DRAM for China Devices

Apple is testing DRAM chips from Chinese state-backed ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for devices sold in China and lobbying Washington to permit broader commercial use, according to the Financial Times. CXMT is on a U.S. military blacklist and accounts for roughly 11% of global DRAM wafer capacity, a figure that could rise to 15% within two years. The move comes as AI-driven demand for high-bandwidth memory compresses consumer DRAM supply, pushing component costs up by 50-60%.

For practitioners, chip sourcing choices highlight how AI-driven demand for high-bandwidth memory compresses supply for consumer DRAM, forcing device makers to consider geopolitically sensitive suppliers. The Financial Times reports that Apple has begun testing DRAM chips from Chinese state-backed ChangXin Memory Technologies CXMT for devices sold in China and is leading a lobbying effort in Washington to permit broader commercial use, citing people familiar with the matter. Reporting by CNBC and MacRumors echoes the FT coverage. The FT and other public reporting note that CXMT is on a U.S. military blacklist and accounts for roughly 11% of global DRAM wafer capacity, a figure the FT says could rise to 15% within two years, citing SemiAnalysis. Price pressure on conventional DRAM is reported to have pushed component costs up by 50-60% , according to one outlet.