Apple is asking the Trump administration for permission to buy RAM chips from CXMT, a Chinese company blacklisted by the Pentagon over ties to the People’s Liberation Army. The move comes as skyrocketing memory prices forced Apple to raise prices on nearly all its products this week.
Legally, Apple isn’t barred from buying chips from CXMT. But doing business with a company linked to the Chinese military carries serious reputational risk — and could draw export controls. CXMT was on a list of proposed additions to the Commerce Department’s Entity List, but the White House held off amid trade negotiations with China.
The Financial Times first reported the story. Apple needs the exception because RAM and storage costs have surged, squeezing margins across its product line.
Tim Cook has spent considerable political capital building bridges with the Trump administration — presenting gaudy statues and attending screenings. But granting Apple’s request would likely face blowback. Republican House China committee chair John Moolenaar called the prospect “a grave mistake.”
“Helping the Chinese Communist Party succeed in its plans to dominate critical supply chains will make our country’s tech industry more dependent on China at a time when we must build secure tech supply chains with our allies,” Moolenaar told the Financial Times.
It’s unclear whether the administration will approve the request.
