Apple is testing CXMT's DRAM chips for devices sold in China, while CXMT, the world's fourth-largest DRAM manufacturer, held 11% of global DRAM wafer capacity last year, projected to reach 15% by 2028. US sanctions blocking EUV lithography access have significantly increased CXMT's HBM manufacturing costs and lowered yield rates, hindering domestic adoption by Chinese AI firms who previously hoarded South Korean HBM.
US sanctions on EUV equipment directly constrain China's domestic HBM production, forcing Chinese AI firms to rely on illicit supply channels for critical memory.