Apple is seeking the Trump administration’s blessing to buy memory chips from ChangXin Memory Technologies, one of China’s fastest-growing semiconductor firms. The move places Apple squarely at the intersection of two colliding forces: a brutal global memory chip shortage and an increasingly hostile US posture toward Chinese tech companies.
The memory crunch is real
The global memory chip shortage, driven largely by insatiable demand from the AI sector, has been squeezing hardware makers for months. Apple has already felt the pain directly, raising prices on iPads and MacBooks in late June 2026 as memory and storage chip costs climbed.
Tim Cook himself has acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating that “all options need to be considered” when it comes to addressing component shortages.
CXMT reported revenue growth of over 700% year-over-year in Q1 2026. The firm is also preparing for an IPO in Shanghai worth roughly $4 billion.
