TECHNOLOGY

US Senators Press Apple to Drop Chinese Memory Chips

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Sources: 21

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook urging the company to abandon plans to purchase memory chips from Chinese suppliers ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC), according to a Bloomberg report published July 30. The senators warned that Apple risked becoming reliant on a U.S. adversary for crucial components, even if the chips are used only in products sold in the Chinese market. They emphasized that CXMT and YMTC have been added to the U.S. Defense Department's recent update of the "Chinese Military Companies List." The letter demands that Apple commit by August 21 to not procure chips from these two Chinese firms. Signatories include senators from New York, Indiana, and Idaho—states where memory chip giants Micron Technology and South Korea's SK Hynix are investing billions of dollars to expand production capacity. The senators argued that an influx of Chinese memory chips could jeopardize these domestic projects. Apple has been seeking to source memory chips from China amid capacity shortages, supply constraints, and surging prices. The Financial Times reported on June 27 that Apple was lobbying the U.S. government for permission to purchase CXMT chips, having already engaged with the Commerce Department. On July 8, the FT reported that Apple had begun testing CXMT's DRAM chips for use in products sold in China. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple is actively lobbying to ease cost pressures through Chinese chip procurement, while Micron Technology is counter-lobbying to block the move. Analysts suggest the lobbying battle could force the U.S. government to choose between lower consumer prices and boosting domestic semiconductor production to reduce foreign dependence. Chen Jing, a researcher at the Technology and Strategy Fengyun Society, told the Global Times on July 30 that Apple is not legally prohibited from buying Chinese chips. He noted that U.S. and Sou

Prepared by Jonathan Pierce and reviewed by editorial team.

Timeline of Events

· January 2024: Pentagon adds YMTC to Section 1260H Chinese military companies list.
· 2025: Pentagon adds CXMT to Section 1260H Chinese military companies list.
· February 2026: Pentagon briefly removes CXMT and YMTC from 1260H list.
· February 2026 (hours later): Pentagon withdraws removal after White House objection.
· June 2026: Pentagon re-releases list with CXMT and YMTC reinstated.
· June 2026: Apple begins lobbying White House for CXMT chip approval.
· July 8, 2026: Apple begins testing CXMT DRAM chips for China-market devices.
· July 29, 2026: Seven senators send letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
· July 30, 2026: Bloomberg reports on letter; Apple Q3 earnings released.
· August 21, 2026: Senators' deadline for Apple to commit not to use Chinese chips.
· Coming days: Apple must respond formally to senators' letter.
· Coming weeks: Apple may appeal to Commerce Department for waiver.
· Coming months: CXMT could expand DRAM market share to 10% by 2026.
· Coming years: Micron's $100 billion New York plant depends on market conditions.
· Long-term: US-China tech decoupling may reshape global semiconductor supply chains.

News Intelligence

· Immediate US impact (10 words): Higher iPhone prices if Apple loses cheaper Chinese memory supply.
· Long-term US impact (10 words): Domestic chip production may benefit but consumer costs could rise.
· Affected groups (10 words): Apple consumers, Micron workers, New York and Indiana semiconductor investors.
· Reader priority (10 words): Watch Apple's formal response and any Commerce Department waiver decision.