Bipartisan Senators Urge Apple to Reject Chinese Memory Chips by August 21

A bipartisan group of US senators has urged Apple CEO Tim Cook to abandon plans to source memory chips from Chinese suppliers ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC), asking the company to commit by August 21 to avoid incorporating the components into its products, according to a letter viewed by Bloomberg.



The lawmakers, led by Indiana Republican Jim Banks and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer, said Apple's plan would leave the world's most valuable consumer-electronics company dependent on critical supplies from companies the Pentagon has designated as Chinese military companies. Other signatories include Democrats Andy Kim and Jeanne Shaheen and Republicans Mike Crapo and Pete Ricketts.


Apple has been exploring deals with CXMT and YMTC as it grapples with an AI-driven global memory shortage.

The supply crunch prompted the company to raise prices across Macs, iPads, home devices, and Vision Pro in June. Apple has also sought the Trump administration's blessing to buy from both Chinese suppliers while facing opposition from Micron, which urged the White House to reject any such arrangement.

The senators also rejected the idea that limiting CXMT memory to devices sold only in China would eliminate the risk. "Once a part clears qualification for Apple production, extending it worldwide is a single procurement decision away," they wrote. They argued that qualifying the chips could encourage other manufacturers to follow Apple's lead, undermining domestic memory production and threatening billions of dollars in planned investments in Indiana, Idaho, New York, and Virginia.

Beyond seeking Apple's commitment, the lawmakers also requested updates on Apple's qualification of CXMT and YMTC components, along with details about any technical information shared with CXMT during the qualification process. They noted that transfers of controlled technical data to advanced Chinese chipmaking facilities may require a Commerce Department license and also asked whether Apple has sought priority chip allocations from US or South Korean suppliers.


Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The senators' letter adds fresh political pressure as the company continues seeking new sources of memory chips to ease the global supply crunch.