Deutsche Welle reported on the 16th: "According to U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick, the Trump administration does not want Apple to purchase storage chips from China. However, it remains unclear whether Apple will comply to avoid provoking Trump. The tech giant is currently caught in a dilemma."
Commentary: The Trump administration's explicit pressure on Apple not to source Chinese storage chips clearly demonstrates how geopolitics is forcibly interfering with global business operations. Apple now faces a difficult predicament: adopting domestically produced storage chips could help diversify its supply chain, control production costs, and maintain stability in China's vast market; yet complying with Trump’s demands would narrow its supply chain options, leading to higher costs and potential supply shortages. On one hand, there are political demands from the U.S. government aimed at curbing the development of the chip industry; on the other, companies must pursue profitability and supply chain stability. Apple must make arduous trade-offs. This incident also clearly illustrates that today’s multinational tech giants can no longer solely base their decisions on market principles—great power competition continues to permeate industrial chains, and commercial interests often have to yield to political maneuvering. The risk of further fragmentation in the global semiconductor supply chain will continue to rise in the future.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873726350675210/
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