Apple Seeks Trump Administration Waiver to Source RAM from Blacklisted Chinese Supplier

*Apple is asking the U.S. government for an exception that would let it buy memory chips from a firm the Pentagon has already flagged over military ties.*

The request

Apple has petitioned the Trump administration for permission to purchase RAM chips from CXMT, a Chinese memory maker blacklisted by the Pentagon. The move comes as Apple raises prices across most of its product line in response to surging memory and storage costs.

Both The Verge and AppleInsider report the same core details drawn from six people who spoke to the Financial Times. Legally, Apple faces no outright ban on the purchases, yet the company is seeking explicit clearance because of CXMT’s documented links to the People’s Liberation Army.

Supply pressure

Global memory prices have climbed sharply, forcing Apple to pass costs to customers. The company is exploring every available source to stabilize its supply chain for Mac and other devices that rely on high-volume LPDDR5X and similar modules.

CXMT remains one of the few non-sanctioned alternatives that could scale to Apple’s volumes. The supplier is not currently subject to the same export controls that restrict other Chinese semiconductor firms, which is why Apple can still approach the administration for an exception rather than a formal license.

Risks and trade-offs

Doing business with a firm tied to the Chinese military carries clear reputational exposure. Apple has historically avoided suppliers that draw direct Pentagon scrutiny, and any approved deal would require careful framing to customers and regulators.

The two reports do not indicate whether the administration has responded or whether CXMT has capacity to meet Apple’s specifications. They also note that Apple has not yet placed orders; the petition is an initial step to keep options open.

Business implications

For Apple, the request signals that memory costs have reached a level where even politically sensitive suppliers are under consideration. Hardware margins on Macs and iPads are already thin once memory and storage are factored in, and sustained price increases risk pushing buyers toward competitors or refurbished units.

The episode also highlights how little leverage individual companies have when commodity prices move faster than contract terms. Apple’s usual strategy of locking in multi-year deals with Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron offers limited protection once spot prices spike across the board.

If the waiver is granted, Apple gains one more negotiating lever with its existing suppliers. If it is denied, the episode will stand as a public reminder that supply-chain diversification still collides with national-security restrictions when the alternative source sits inside China’s military-industrial orbit.

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Sources:

• The Verge
• AppleInsider

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