Trump administration weighs Apple request to use Chinese memory chips amid Micron opposition

Saturday, July 25, 2026Business & MarketsWell-covered3 frames

How left and right are reading this

Both agree: Letting Chinese memory chips into Apple’s supply chain would shape consumer prices, domestic chip production, and unresolved national-security tradeoffs at the same time.
They split on: Whether the story is about balancing cheaper electronics against long-term supply-chain and security risks, or about firmly privileging domestic chip capacity over Chinese suppliers.

Apple and Micron are lobbying the Trump administration for opposite outcomes on whether Apple should be allowed to use Chinese memory chips.
Apple has asked U.S. officials to permit the use of memory chips from China's ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies in devices sold outside the United States.
Micron is opposing Apple's request and has argued to U.S. officials that allowing Chinese memory suppliers into the supply chain would harm domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
The dispute has reached senior U.S. officials, with reports saying Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed the proposal with President Trump and other administration officials including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Apple has argued that adding Chinese memory suppliers could help ease the global memory shortage and reduce or limit price increases for consumer electronics.
Micron has said it could help address the memory shortage by accelerating domestic plant construction and investing more in U.S. production.
The administration's decision would affect both consumer electronics pricing and the broader U.S. goal of expanding domestic chip production while managing national-security concerns tied to Chinese suppliers.

Apple and Micron are lobbying the Trump administration for opposite outcomes on whether Apple should be allowed to use Chinese memory chips.
Apple has asked U.S. officials to permit the use of memory chips from China's ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies in devices sold outside the United States.
Micron is opposing Apple's request and has argued to U.S. officials that allowing Chinese memory suppliers into the supply chain would harm domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
The dispute has reached senior U.S. officials, with reports saying Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed the proposal with President Trump and other administration officials including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Apple has argued that adding Chinese memory suppliers could help ease the global memory shortage and reduce or limit price increases for consumer electronics.
Micron has said it could help address the memory shortage by accelerating domestic plant construction and investing more in U.S. production.
The administration's decision would affect both consumer electronics pricing and the broader U.S. goal of expanding domestic chip production while managing national-security concerns tied to Chinese suppliers.

Facts first. Then every angle.