White House Pressures Apple to Block Chinese Memory Chip Purchases

PUBLISHED Aug 17, 2026, 1:39 PM ET

The Trump administration is urging Apple not to buy memory chips from Chinese suppliers, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said, escalating pressure on the iPhone maker amid a global shortage driven by artificial-intelligence demand. Lutnick told The Wall Street Journal that the administration opposes Apple using memory from ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies, saying American companies should find other solutions. Apple has been testing CXMT DRAM and exploring Chinese memory supplies, according to reporting by the Financial Times and Bloomberg, but no commercial purchase agreement has been publicly confirmed. A bipartisan group of senators separately urged Apple to reject CXMT and YMTC chips, citing national-security concerns. CXMT and YMTC are on the Defense Department’s Chinese military companies list, while YMTC is also on the Commerce Department’s Entity List. Micron, the leading U.S. memory producer, is lobbying against Chinese sourcing. Its planned U.S. investment exceeds $250 billion through 2035, announced.

By Michael Grant | JQJO News

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 26
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 0
Neutral:: 26

Explain Framing

Left: Left coverage emphasizes consumer prices, corporate autonomy, and supply constraints. Center: Center coverage emphasizes confirmed government pressure, sourcing facts, and uncertainty. Right: Right framing emphasizes national security, China dependence, and manufacturing priorities.