애플, 금지된 중국 반도체 구매 승인 요청...마이크론에 영향은?
Apple Wants to Buy Blacklisted Chinese Memory. Micron Has Nothing to Worry About
애플이 CXMT로부터 메모리 칩을 구매하려는 움직임이 있지만, 인공지능(AI) 수요로 인한 공급 부족으로 인해 마이크론의 가격 결정력은 여전히 유지될 것으로 보입니다.
핵심 요약
애플이 금지된 중국 반도체 구매를 위해 허가를 요청하며, 가격이 20% 인상되었습니다.
핵심요약
- 애플이 중국 CXMT로부터 반도체를 구매하기 위해 허가를 요청 중
- 맥북과 아이패드 모델 가격이 20% 인상
- 마이크론 투자자들, 새로운 공급망으로 가격 경쟁력 약화 우려
- AI 열풍으로 반도체 수요 급증, 마이크론·삼성·SK하이닉스 수익성 향상
도입
이 기사는 반도체 시장 변화와 애플의 전략적 선택이 마이크론과 같은 기업에 미칠 영향을 분석하는 데 중요합니다. 특히 AI 인프라 수요 증가로 인한 반도체 공급 부족이 가격과 수익성에 미치는 영향에 주목해야 합니다.
본문 1: 애플의 전략적 선택과 시장 영향
애플이 CXMT로부터 반도체를 구매하기 위해 허가를 요청 중인 것은 memory chip 수요 증가와 관련이 있습니다. memory chip 비용이 20% 인상된 상황에서 애플은 새로운 공급망을 확보하려는 것으로 보입니다. CXMT는 DDR5 메모리 등을 생산하는 기업으로, 애플의 전략적 선택이 시장 균형에 미칠 영향이 주목됩니다.
본문 2: 마이크론의 시장 위치와 경쟁력
마이크론 투자자들은 새로운 공급망이 마이크론의 가격 경쟁력을 약화시킬까 우려하고 있습니다. 그러나 CXMT의 시장 위치는 마이크론과 비교해 차별화된 측면이 있습니다. 특히 AI 인프라 수요 증가로 인한 반도체 공급 부족은 마이크론의 수익성에 긍정적인 영향을 미치고 있습니다.
결론
애플의 전략적 선택과 반도체 시장 변화는 마이크론과 같은 기업의 수익성과 가격 경쟁력에 영향을 미칠 가능성이 있습니다. 향후 AI 인프라 수요와 반도체 공급의 균형이 어떻게 변할지 주목해야 합니다.
Original Article
Apple Wants to Buy Blacklisted Chinese Memory. Micron Has Nothing to Worry About
The AI boom has transformed one of the semiconductor industry’s most cyclical businesses into one of its tightest markets. Memory chips, once plagued by oversupply and collapsing prices, have become one of the biggest bottlenecks for AI infrastructure.
That shortage has helped lift Micron Technology ( NASDAQ:MU | MU Price Prediction ), Samsung Electronics , and SK hynix to record profitability as demand for premium memory far exceeds supply. It is in this environment that Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ) is reportedly lobbying the Trump administration for permission to buy memory chips from a blacklisted Chinese supplier.
Micron investors are worried that if a new supply channel is opened, the memory chipmaker’s pricing power, margins, and ultimately its stock could be pressured. However, they needn’t be concerned.
The Financial Times reported that Apple has been lobbying several federal agencies and officials for approval to purchase memory chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), a company placed on the U.S. Entity List because of its ties to the Chinese government and military. Buying from CXMT is reportedly not outright illegal, but doing so without government approval could expose Apple to political backlash and reputational damage.
Apple’s motivation is easy to understand. The company just announced price hikes of roughly 20% on several MacBook and iPad models after CEO Tim Cook said Apple could no longer absorb rising component costs. Its stock suffered its largest single-day loss in more than a year. Memory has become one of the fastest-growing expenses inside consumer electronics, and Apple has long used its enormous purchasing power to squeeze suppliers for lower prices.
Some investors fear that if Washington grants Apple permission, CXMT could become a new source of supply that weakens Micron’s positioning.
Here is where their markets actually stand:
CXMT manufactures conventional DRAM products, including DDR5 memory for PCs and servers, LPDDR5X and LPDDR4X for smartphones and mobile devices, and enterprise RDIMM and MRDIMM modules. What it does not manufacture is high bandwidth memory (HBM), the premium chips powering Nvidia ‘s ( NASDAQ:NVDA ) AI accelerators and the data centers behind today’s AI spending boom.
That distinction matters because HBM carries much higher margins than commodity DRAM, and it remains the product driving Micron’s earnings growth.
Surprisingly, it was Apple itself that helped create the pricing environment it now wants relief from.
During the last memory downturn, DRAM prices collapsed so far that suppliers, including Micron, saw gross margins sink into negative territory. Apple used its position as the world’s largest memory buyer to negotiate rock-bottom prices. Micron Chief Business Officer Sumit Sadana publicly criticized those negotiations, saying Apple’s purchasing tactics were “not constructive” because they discouraged suppliers from investing in new manufacturing capacity.
Many producers delayed or canceled expansion projects. Then AI arrived.
Exploding demand for AI servers rapidly consumed available DRAM capacity, while HBM production became the industry’s highest priority. Years of underinvestment left the market unable to respond quickly, producing today’s shortage and elevated pricing.
In short, Apple is dealing with consequences that were, at least in part, created by the pricing pressure it once imposed on suppliers.
Granted, Apple could still receive government approval, but the political hurdles remain substantial.
Apple attempted something similar in 2022 when it considered sourcing memory from another blacklisted Chinese manufacturer, YMTC. Members of Congress immediately warned the company that moving forward would invite legislative repercussions. CXMT carries many of the same national security concerns, making any approval likely to receive intense congressional scrutiny.
Regardless, even if Apple succeeds, the competitive impact on Micron appears limited. CXMT competes in mainstream DRAM, while Micron’s investment dollars are increasingly directed toward high-margin HBM products where demand continues to exceed supply.
Apple’s lobbying effort reflects its desire to reduce memory costs after raising hardware prices, not a shift in the competitive landscape for AI memory. CXMT may eventually become another supplier of commodity DRAM, but it does not produce HBM, the segment generating Micron’s strongest growth and profitability.
Ultimately, investors worried this development threatens Micron’s long-term outlook are focusing on the wrong part of the memory market. Apple’s search for cheaper chips says more about its own cost pressures than it does about Micron’s competitive position.