SEMI, the global semiconductor industry association, sent a letter to senior Trump administration officials on July 1 urging the government to keep its hands off memory chip pricing. The trade group’s argument is straightforward: the market is already stretched thin, and government meddling would make things worse.
The letter arrives at a moment when AI infrastructure buildout is devouring memory chips at a pace that makes every other buyer nervous. According to SEMI, AI data centers are projected to consume roughly 70% of global memory output in 2026. That leaves automotive manufacturers, medical technology companies, telecom providers, and consumer electronics makers fighting over the remaining 30%.
The supply squeeze that nobody can fix with a policy memo
SEMI projects that AI-driven demand will increase memory capacity needs by approximately 19% annually.
The association counts Micron Technology, SK Hynix, and Samsung Electronics among its members, the three companies that collectively dominate global memory production.
