US senators urge Apple to avoid Chinese memory chip suppliers over security concerns

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has urged Apple to abandon plans to source memory chips from Chinese semiconductor manufacturers, warning that the move could expose the company to long-term national security risks and increase its dependence on suppliers linked to Beijing.

In a letter to Apple chief executive Tim Cook, the lawmakers asked the company not to use memory chips produced by CXMT Corp. and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), even in devices intended solely for the Chinese market.

The letter was led by Republican Senator Jim Banks and Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, who noted that both companies appear on the Pentagon's updated list of Chinese entities believed to support China's military.

Calling the proposed sourcing strategy "short-sighted", the lawmakers argued that it could leave one of the world's largest technology companies reliant on suppliers designated by the US government as Chinese military companies.

The intervention comes as Apple is reported to be evaluating purchases from the two manufacturers amid a global shortage of memory chips. Rising demand from artificial intelligence hardware, particularly products powered by advanced AI processors, has pushed up memory prices in recent months.

In June, Apple increased prices across several product categories, including Mac computers, iPads, home devices and the Vision Pro headset, citing higher memory costs.

The senators cautioned that even if the Chinese-made memory chips were initially restricted to products sold within China, future procurement decisions could result in their wider use across global markets.

They also questioned whether sourcing from the Chinese firms would deliver meaningful cost savings, pointing to analyses suggesting that CXMT's pricing is, in some cases, higher than competing alternatives.

The lawmakers asked Apple to provide a commitment by 21 August that it would not incorporate memory chips from CXMT or YMTC into its products. They also requested details of the company's engagement with the two suppliers, including whether it had shared technical information or sought priority chip allocations from US or South Korean manufacturers.

Apple had not publicly responded to the letter at the time of reporting.

With IANS inputs