Apple seeks to buy memory chips from blacklisted Chinese company

Apple requested permission from the Trump administration to purchase memory chips from a Chinese company that was placed on a U.S. trade blacklist. The iPhone maker sought this waiver to alleviate pressure from increasing chip prices. The specific Chinese company involved was Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC), a state-backed semiconductor manufacturer. Apple had reportedly planned to buy around $1 billion worth of DRAM chips from YMTC. The U.S. Commerce Department had added YMTC to its "entity list" in December 2022, restricting its access to American technology and components. This move by Apple highlighted the ongoing tension between U.S. national security concerns regarding Chinese technology and the supply chain needs of major American corporations.