Apple seeks Trump approval to buy memory chips from blacklisted Chinese firm CXMT
Executive summary: Apple is urging the Trump administration to approve the purchase of memory chips from CXMT, a Chinese firm placed on the US Entity List due to alleged military ties. The decision could affect Apple's supply chain costs, influence US-China tech tensions, and set a precedent for how exemptions are granted under export controls. Apple, the Trump administration (specifically officials overseeing the Entity List), US Department of Commerce, Chinese firm CXMT (linked to the PLA), and potentially Congressional oversight committees. The administration will review the request; if approved, Apple may receive a limited licence to buy CXMT chips, otherwise it will need to look for alternative suppliers or face higher component costs.
According to the Financial Times, Apple is lobbying the Trump administration for a licence to purchase memory chips from CXMT, a company the Pentagon links to China's People's Liberation Army. The request highlights the tension between US export controls aimed at limiting military-related technology flows and corporate efforts to secure affordable components. If granted, the move would mark a rare exemption for a blacklisted Chinese supplier and could influence broader tech trade policy.
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