Apple Lobbies Trump Administration for Clearance to Buy Memory Chips From Pentagon-Blacklisted Chinese Chipmaker CXMT

Apple has launched a lobbying campaign seeking White House clearance to purchase memory chips from CXMT, a Chinese chipmaker the Pentagon has placed on its Chinese Military Company blacklist for alleged ties to the People's Liberation Army. CEO Tim Cook stated 'everything needs to be on the table' regarding supply restrictions, as rising DRAM costs forced Apple to raise prices on Macs and iPads. The effort creates a direct policy conflict with Micron—which also supplies Apple and is simultaneously lobbying for stricter CXMT restrictions—turning the administration's response into a high-stakes test of whether supply chain relief can override national security designations.