Apple Lobbies White House to Buy Chips From Blacklisted Chinese Firm
Apple is seeking US government approval to source memory chips from sanctioned Chinese chipmaker CXMT in a bid to cut costs.
Apple is pushing the Biden administration for permission to buy memory chips from a blacklisted Chinese semiconductor company, the Financial Times reported Saturday, revealing a rare corporate gambit to work around US export controls in pursuit of lower costs. The tech giant has approached the White House directly, seeking an exemption that would allow it to source chips from CXMT, a Chinese memory chipmaker that appears on a US government restricted-entity list.
The move underscores the mounting pressure Apple faces on its component supply chain as trade tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to reshape global tech procurement. Memory chips represent a significant cost input across Apple's product lineup, and securing a lower-cost supplier could provide meaningful margin relief — particularly at a moment when the company is already navigating price-sensitive consumer markets.
Read more Bots Are Dominating Ticket Sales — But They're Not Alone →
Winning White House clearance would be an uphill battle. US restrictions on blacklisted firms are designed specifically to limit their access to American technology and revenue streams, and granting an exemption for one of the world's most valuable companies to buy from a sanctioned Chinese supplier would carry substantial geopolitical weight. Critics would likely argue such a waiver undermines the strategic intent of the export controls.
The report arrives against a broader backdrop of strain for Apple: the company's shares have come under pressure following price increases on iPads and Macs, signaling that cost management has become an increasingly urgent priority for leadership. Whether the White House will entertain the request — or how quickly any decision might come — remains unclear based on current reporting.
Continue reading at Yahoo.
