Apple is reportedly lobbying the Trump administration for assurance that it can buy DRAM from CXMT, a Chinese memory maker on a Pentagon list of companies with alleged ties to China’s military, as a severe memory-chip shortage pushes up hardware costs.

The reported request, cited by the Financial Times and attributed to six people familiar with the matter, is not described as a bid to bypass an existing ban. Apple is not currently barred from buying from ChangXin Memory Technologies, but it wants confidence that the Commerce Department will not later place CXMT on the Entity List, which would add licensing restrictions and could disrupt any supply agreement.

According to the reporting summarized in the source material, Apple approached Commerce roughly one month ago and has since widened its lobbying to other parts of the administration and Washington contacts. CXMT would become a fourth memory supplier for Apple, alongside Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix.

The timing has drawn attention because Apple reportedly raised prices across parts of its Mac and iPad lines in the same week, with increases described as roughly 17% to 25%. The company tied those hikes to rising memory and storage costs as AI data-center demand absorbs supply. The White House had not decided on Apple’s request, and Apple declined to comment, according to the source material.

Apple’s Supply Buffer Is Thinning

The report matters because Apple has more purchasing power and longer supply contracts than most hardware makers. If it is seeking permission to add a politically sensitive Chinese supplier, that points to a broader supply squeeze beyond routine component bargaining.

The pressure is centered on commodity DRAM, not the high-bandwidth memory used in AI accelerators. That distinction matters for readers: CXMT is not being framed as a replacement for HBM suppliers, but as a possible source of lower-cost memory for products such as PCs, tablets and servers.

For consumers, the clearest impact is price. The source material cites Counterpoint as estimating that memory prices have risen about fourfold over three quarters. If those costs remain high, device makers may pass more of the burden to buyers, reduce configurations, delay products or seek suppliers that carry more political risk.

CXMT Carries Political Risk

CXMT is on the Pentagon’s 1260H list, which identifies Chinese companies alleged to have links to the People’s Liberation Army. That designation is serious, but it is not the same as the Commerce Department’s Entity List. The 1260H listing does not automatically prohibit Apple from making a commercial purchase.

The political backdrop is familiar for Apple. In 2022, congressional pressure over possible sourcing from Chinese chipmaker YMTC preceded Apple backing away from that path, according to the source material. A CXMT deal would likely invite similar scrutiny because it would involve a major US technology company relying on a supplier flagged by the US defense establishment.

The reported request also comes as the memory market is being reshaped by AI infrastructure spending. Data-center demand has pulled capacity and investment toward higher-margin products, leaving tighter supply and higher pricing for standard DRAM used in consumer hardware.

Approval And Volume Remain Open

It is not yet clear whether the White House or the Commerce Department will give Apple the assurance it wants. It is also unclear whether CXMT could supply enough qualified DRAM volume for Apple products at the scale Apple would need.

The report does not confirm that Apple has signed a supply agreement with CXMT. It also does not establish whether any future deal would cover Macs, iPads, regional products or only limited configurations. The extent of any security review, and whether Congress would try to block or discourage a deal, remains developing.

Washington Must Weigh The Request

The next step is a decision from the Trump administration on whether to give Apple the policy certainty it is seeking. A favorable signal could allow Apple to move closer to adding CXMT as another memory supplier, while a refusal or delay would keep Apple dependent on its existing suppliers during a period of high prices.

Investors, consumers and hardware rivals will be watching whether Apple’s price increases hold, whether memory costs keep rising, and whether US officials treat CXMT as a commercial supply option or a national-security risk too large for a flagship American company to use.

Key Questions

Is Apple banned from buying memory from CXMT?

No current ban is described in the source material. CXMT is on the Pentagon’s 1260H list, but that is not the same as the Commerce Department Entity List, which would impose tougher trade restrictions.

Why would Apple want CXMT memory now?

Apple is facing higher DRAM and storage costs during a wider memory shortage. Adding CXMT could give it another supplier for commodity RAM and reduce pressure from rising prices.

Does CXMT make AI accelerator memory?

The source material says CXMT does not make HBM, the stacked memory used in many AI accelerators. The reported issue is about commodity DRAM, not the AI-memory frontier.

Could this affect Mac and iPad prices?

It could. Apple has already reportedly raised some Mac and iPad prices after citing higher memory and storage costs. If supply remains tight, pricing pressure may continue.

What is the main risk for Apple?

The main risk is political and regulatory. A deal with CXMT could draw scrutiny because the company is linked in US government designations to alleged Chinese military ties, even if purchases are not currently barred.

Source: Thorsten Meyer AI