Apple is seeking permission from the Trump administration to purchase memory from CXMT, a Chinese company blacklisted by the U.S. government, in order to cope with soaring memory prices.

The U.S. government has blacklisted several Chinese companies, known as the 'Chinese Military Enterprises List,' prohibiting them from doing business with the Department of Defense. The Financial Times reported that Apple is trying to address the global memory shortage by asking the Trump administration to allow them to do business with companies on this blacklist.

Apple seeks to buy memory chips from blacklisted Chinese company
https://www.ft.com/content/d72a25e2-7bde-4aa9-bd8d-0c4f3d6cb2cb

Apple asks Trump to allow RAM imports from banned supplier
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/06/27/apple-asks-trump-to-let-it-buy-memory-from-a-blacklisted-supplier

Apple wants US approval to buy chips from CXMT as memory prices quadruple
https://thenextweb.com/news/apple-lobbying-us-approval-cxmt-blacklisted-memory-chips

The British financial newspaper, the Financial Times, reported, citing six sources familiar with Apple's internal affairs, that 'Apple is lobbying the Trump administration to grant permission to purchase memory chips from the Chinese company CXMT.' CXMT is suspected of having ties to the Chinese People's Liberation Army and is listed on the U.S. Department of Defense's 'List of Chinese Military Enterprises (1260H List).'

Apple is lobbying the Trump administration to approve a deal with CXMT in order to alleviate financial pressure caused by soaring memory prices. According to sources, Apple has been in contact with the Commerce Department and other government officials since before May 2026.

The Department of Defense has placed Chinese memory chip manufacturers CXMT and YMTC on its list of Chinese military enterprises. Companies on this list are suspected of having ties to the Chinese People's Liberation Army and could potentially undermine U.S. national security, but Apple is not legally prohibited from doing business with these companies.

Apple recently announced price increases for Macs, iPads, and other products on June 25, 2026, local time, citing soaring memory prices. This announcement resulted in a $263 billion (approximately 41 trillion yen) decrease in Apple's market capitalization, which is reportedly the second largest decline Apple has ever experienced.

Apple raises prices across Macs, iPads, and other products; MacBook Air goes up ¥40,000, but iPhones and Apple Watches remain at their original prices - GIGAZINE

Therefore, the Financial Times reports that securing CXMT as a memory supplier would help improve Apple's situation.

The U.S. Department of Commerce had been considering adding CXMT to its Entity List in 2025. However, the Trump administration instructed that the addition of CXMT to the Entity List be postponed, citing its ongoing tough negotiations with China in an attempt to achieve a truce in the trade war.

However, it remains unclear whether Apple will be able to obtain any assurance from the Trump administration that CXMT will not be added to the entity list.

Apple was considering purchasing memory from YMTC for iPhones to be sold in China in 2022. However, this move faced strong opposition from American politicians and others. Marco Rubio, who was the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee at the time, strongly criticized the company, saying that 'Apple is playing with fire.'

The Financial Times reports that if Apple were to purchase memory from CXMT, it would almost certainly face strong opposition from the U.S. Congress, as was the case last time.

Apple purchases DRAM memory for its devices from South Korea's Samsung and SK Hynix, and the United States' Micron. Meanwhile, CXMT has just received regulatory approval for its listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and is in the process of preparing to challenge the major players in the DRAM market.