A few days ago some reports claimed Apple was considering using Chinese RAM from ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC).
Today, a new report claims the company is already testing DRAM chips from CXMT. But there’s a twist. Allegedly, Apple would only be using the Chinese-made RAM for devices it will sell in China.
That might be a way to minimize the backlash that could ensue from the Trump administration, seeing as how the US government has added both CXMT and YMTC to its Entity List, which identifies companies that have ties to the Chinese military.
It’s not illegal to do business with these companies, but it wouldn’t be a good look for Apple. Yet if it’s only buying Chinese RAM for devices sold in China, perhaps Donald Trump will be more lenient. It all remains to be seen, of course.
This is obviously all influenced by the ongoing RAM crisis which exists due to the fact that AI data centers are gobbling up all of the available supply from non-Chinese manufacturers. However, Apple has been reported to be evaluating NAND chips from YMTC as far back as 2022, so the Cupertino company has definitely been keeping an eye on the Chinese memory market for many years.
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