Apple Lobbies US for Permission to Buy DRAM From Blacklisted Chinese Supplier CXMT

Apple has been lobbying the US administration for over a month, seeking permission to purchase DRAM chips from Chinese company CXMT, which is currently blacklisted by both the Pentagon and the US Commerce Department. Since late spring, Apple has been in talks with the Commerce Department and other Washington officials, aiming to secure an exemption that would allow it to source memory from CXMT despite strict restrictions.

The urgency behind Apple's push is driven by soaring memory prices. Over the past year, the price of 12GB LPDDR5X DRAM chips has tripled, reaching $145 per unit by the end of the second quarter of 2026. This cost surge has already impacted consumers: last week, Apple raised prices on MacBook and iPad models, explicitly citing increased memory costs as the reason. The financial pressure is mounting, with projections that memory and storage could account for up to 27% of the bill of materials for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro — up from just 9% in the iPhone 17 Pro.

CXMT, along with fellow Chinese supplier YMTC, is offering Apple components at a 10-15% discount compared to established suppliers Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron. These three companies currently control more than 90% of the global DRAM market, and Apple is seeking to reduce its dependence on their pricing. The potential cost savings from Chinese suppliers are significant, but regulatory barriers remain steep: CXMT is on both the Pentagon's blacklist for alleged ties to China's military and the Commerce Department's Entity List, which typically blocks US companies from doing business without special approval.

Recent political developments have added further complexity. Just a week before Apple's lobbying efforts intensified, US President Donald Trump announced a partnership between Apple and Intel to manufacture chips domestically. As a result, Apple is simultaneously investing in US-based production while also requesting permission to buy from a Chinese company that some lawmakers view as a national security risk.

Resistance to Apple's request is already forming. Micron, one of the dominant DRAM suppliers, is actively lobbying for even stricter restrictions against CXMT, and this position is gaining bipartisan support in Congress. Apple has faced similar challenges before: in 2022, the company considered sourcing NAND memory from YMTC but abandoned the plan under pressure from US lawmakers.

So far, neither Apple, the White House, nor CXMT have issued official comments on the matter. If an exemption is granted, it could set a precedent for other major memory buyers to seek similar permissions, potentially marking a significant shift in US policy on technology trade with China.

Apple is seeking to bypass restrictions to lower its costs. Should US authorities prioritize national security concerns over commercial interests, or is it time for a more flexible approach?