Apple Seeks US Approval to Buy Blacklisted Chinese DRAM

Apple is lobbying the Trump administration to source memory from CXMT as surging chip costs impact iPhone production and device pricing.

Apple has approached the US Commerce Department and the Trump administration for clearance to purchase DRAM from China's CXMT, currently on a Pentagon blacklist for ties to the People's Liberation Army. The move follows price hikes for Mac and iPad lineups as memory costs soar. CEO Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal that the price surge is unlike anything he has seen in 40 years. LPDDR5X 12GB contract prices have tripled since Q1 2025, reaching $145 per unit. Memory and flash storage represented 9 percent of the iPhone 17 Pro 256GB bill of materials in 2025, but are projected to hit 27 percent for the iPhone 18 Pro. Apple currently relies on Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron, but CXMT is expanding production capacity from 200,000 to 300,000 wafers per month by the end of 2026.