Apple Lobbies Trump Administration to Buy Memory Chips From Blacklisted Chinese Manufacturer

Apple is lobbying the Trump administration to approve purchasing memory chips from ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), a Chinese manufacturer currently listed on the Pentagon Chinese Military Company Blacklist. The Financial Times reported the lobbying effort, which Apple has not publicly confirmed.

The request comes directly after Apple raised prices across its entire Mac, iPad, and Vision Pro lineup by between 17% and 25% earlier this week, blaming a global memory shortage driven by AI data center demand. CXMT represents a potential lower-cost alternative supply, reportedly offering components at a 10% to 15% discount compared to rates from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. The regulatory and political risks are substantial.

What Apple Is Actually Asking For

Apple is not technically barred today from buying chips from CXMT. The Pentagon 1260H blacklist does not impose mandatory licensing restrictions the way the Commerce Department Entity List does. What Apple is specifically seeking, according to the Financial Times, are assurances that CXMT will not be added to the Entity List. That addition would immediately make any trade illegal and force a supply chain scramble Apple could not easily absorb.

A second risk is just as serious: the Defense Department is prohibited from doing business with companies on the 1260H list or using products containing their components. An Apple-CXMT supply arrangement could jeopardize existing U.S. government contracts if military customers cannot certify their devices are free of restricted components.

Congressional Pushback Is Already Coming

The proposal has drawn fire on Capitol Hill. Representative John Moolenaar, Republican chair of the House Select Committee on China, warned that approving the waiver would strengthen China control over critical supply chains. Senator Marco Rubio, who previously described similar moves as playing with fire, is expected to oppose any White House approval.

CXMT was placed on the Pentagon blacklist due to alleged connections to the People Liberation Army, though the company disputes those characterizations. The Pentagon briefly removed CXMT from the list before reinstating it in a recent update.

The Bigger Picture: A Memory Crunch Hitting the Whole Industry

The memory shortage is not Apple problem alone. AI data centers are consuming a disproportionate share of global DRAM production, squeezing supply for consumer electronics across the board. Apple price increases triggered a sell-off in global tech stocks, as investors weighed whether cost inflation could suppress device demand and undermine the memory chip market rally that has powered semiconductor stocks through 2026.

The White House did not respond to the Financial Times request for comment. Apple declined to comment. As of Saturday evening, no decision has been announced.