U.S. Media: Faced with cost pressures from the global memory chip shortage, Apple is actively lobbying the U.S. Department of Commerce and agencies under the Trump administration to secure policy assurances for purchasing products from China's memory chip manufacturer, CXMT (Longxin Memory Technologies).
CXMT is currently listed on the U.S. Department of Defense's "1260H List," which includes companies believed to have ties to the military. While Apple is not explicitly prohibited from collaborating with CXMT, its real concern lies in the possibility that CXMT may be further added to the Commerce Department’s "Entity List"—once listed, this would trigger stringent export licensing restrictions. Notably, the Pentagon has recently reinstated both CXMT and Yangtze Memory Technologies onto the 1260H List.
Earlier this week, Apple announced a full-scale price increase across Macs, iPads, home devices, and the Vision Pro headset, passing part of the memory cost pressure onto consumers. The company also warned that memory shortages are expected to worsen throughout the year. This move triggered a broad decline in global tech stocks this week, as markets fear high component costs will suppress end-user demand and undermine the momentum driving memory chip prices in support of AI-related trends.
Against the backdrop of intensifying Sino-U.S. trade tensions, Apple’s actions reflect the growing dilemma faced by tech giants balancing supply chain security against escalating geopolitical risks.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869165959923712/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.