Apple reportedly warned to avoid Chinese memory chips: US steps in

Apple has reportedly been told by the US government to stay away from Chinese memory chips from suppliers like Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). The Wall Street Journal says the Commerce Department has been pressing Apple not to use parts from suppliers seen as closely tied to Beijing.

The two companies in the spotlight are YMTC and CXMT. YMTC was added to the US Commerce Department’s Entity List in December 2022, which cut off access to certain US technology and manufacturing gear. The Pentagon has also classified both companies as “Chinese military companies,” a claim both firms reject. That matters because memory sits at the heart of products like the iPhone and MacBook, so any change in sourcing can affect costs, supply reliability, and production plans.

Apple has been trying to move more manufacturing beyond China, with India and Vietnam taking on a bigger role, but parts still come from all over the world. Memory, in particular, has turned into a politically sensitive piece of the puzzle.

The Wall Street Journal also reported in 2026 that Apple had been testing CXMT DRAM for future devices as supply got tighter and demand for advanced hardware kept climbing. That came after senators in 2022 pushed for an intelligence review of Apple’s YMTC plans, and as the 2026 MATCH Act called for tougher export controls on companies including YMTC and CXMT.

Anyone who keeps an eye on Apple’s supply chain should probably pay attention to this. It lines up with the broader US effort to slow China’s progress in semiconductors, while China answers with sanctions, export controls, and major spending aimed at becoming more self-sufficient.

The reported details are available through The Wall Street Journal.