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Apple has just raised prices on a range of products amid the recent surge in component prices. Photo: Reuters . |
According to the Financial Times , Apple approached the US Department of Commerce more than a month ago to discuss importing additional memory chips from CXMT and YMTC, and expanded its lobbying campaign to include other high-ranking officials in President Donald Trump's administration and allied forces in Washington to secure approval from the White House.
The fact that the iPhone manufacturer is seeking supplies from a Chinese company blacklisted by the Pentagon reflects the dilemma facing the world's largest technology company in the face of soaring component prices.
Currently, Apple is not prohibited from purchasing chips from CXMT or YMTC. However, the Pentagon's inclusion of both companies on its 1260H blacklist (a group of Chinese military companies that pose a threat to US national security) has created a significant reputational risk for the company.
The move to boost purchases came shortly after Apple decided to raise prices on its MacBook and iPad lines, causing its market capitalization to plummet by $263 billion in a single trading day. The American tech giant blamed the soaring price of memory chips, which it felt was unsustainable and that it had to pass this cost on to consumers.
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The partnership with CXMT is expected to rescue Apple from the stranglehold of its current suppliers. Besides China, the global memory chip market is dominated by three giants: Micron of the US, and Samsung and SK Hynix of South Korea.
Although the oversupply situation in 2023 allowed Apple to stockpile large quantities of inexpensive components, the explosion of AI over the past three years has changed the landscape.
The enormous demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI infrastructure has drained production capacity, causing shortages of traditional DRAM chips for consumer electronics and driving up prices. Therefore, acquiring an additional supplier like CXMT would help Apple reduce input costs.
Previously, in preparation for the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, Washington temporarily postponed the implementation of export controls on new technologies for Chinese businesses.
However, observers believe there is still no guarantee that Apple will receive long-term assurance that the US will not add CXMT to its sanctions list in the future.
Source: https://znews.vn/apple-xin-mua-chip-trung-quoc-post1663778.html
