Apple is reportedly lobbying Washington for permission to purchase memory chips from CXMT, a Chinese DRAM manufacturer currently on the Pentagon's list of suspected military-linked companies. CXMT reported a 719% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1, with its $8.6 billion Shanghai listing poised to be Asia's largest IPO of 2026. The ongoing memory shortage is forcing a contradiction between Washington's technology decoupling goals and global companies' need for adequate, cost-effective supply.
The severe memory shortage is forcing major tech companies to seek supply from restricted Chinese firms, directly challenging US export controls and highlighting the limits of technology decoupling.