Apple Lobbies White House to Buy Chips From Blacklisted Chinese Firm
Apple is seeking U.S. government approval to source memory chips from sanctioned Chinese chipmaker CXMT as the tech giant works to cut costs.
Apple is pushing the White House for permission to purchase memory chips from CXMT, a blacklisted Chinese semiconductor company, the Financial Times reported Saturday. The iPhone maker's lobbying effort comes as the company seeks to reduce its chip procurement costs amid broader supply chain pressures.
CXMT, a Chinese memory chip manufacturer, appears on a U.S. government restricted trade list, meaning American companies are normally prohibited from doing business with the firm without special government authorization. Apple's pursuit of a waiver signals how aggressively the company is working to diversify and lower the cost of its component sourcing.
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The move places Apple in a delicate geopolitical position. Any deal with a blacklisted Chinese supplier would require explicit White House sign-off and could invite scrutiny from lawmakers already focused on U.S. technology dependence on China. The request underscores the tension between corporate cost pressures and Washington's broader strategy of limiting Chinese semiconductor firms' access to American business relationships.
Memory chips are a critical and cost-sensitive component across Apple's product lineup, from iPhones to MacBooks to iPads. If approved, sourcing from CXMT could meaningfully shift Apple's chip cost structure, though the political and regulatory risks remain significant. The outcome of the waiver request could set a precedent for how other U.S. tech companies navigate similar situations.
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