Key facts
- Apple is lobbying the Trump administration to approve its purchase of memory chips from Chinese manufacturer CXMT Corp.
- The tech giant has been communicating with officials in Washington for over a month.
- Potential tariffs on chips imported from China have been delayed until June 2027.
- Apple has a preliminary agreement with Intel to manufacture some chips for its devices.
- President Trump personally lobbied Apple CEO Tim Cook to partner with Intel.
Apple is actively lobbying the Trump administration to permit the purchase of memory chips from Chinese manufacturer CXMT Corp., according to reports. The tech giant has engaged with the Commerce Department and other officials in Washington over the past month.
This lobbying effort comes as the U.S. is set to impose new tariffs on semiconductor imports from China. However, Apple has secured a delay, meaning the effective tariff rate will remain at zero for approximately 18 months, pushing any cost impact until June 2027. After this period, tariffs will increase, potentially affecting many semiconductor components Apple sources from China, even though the company designs its own processors manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan.
The delay in tariffs is seen as an effort by the Trump administration to de-escalate trade tensions with China, following a truce reached in October. This move provides Apple with more time to adjust its supply chain.
In a separate development, Apple has reached a preliminary agreement with Intel for the chipmaker to manufacture some of the chips used in Apple devices. This partnership is significant for Intel's foundry business and aligns with U.S. efforts to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing. President Trump reportedly personally lobbied Apple's outgoing CEO, Tim Cook, to pursue this collaboration. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also met with Cook, Elon Musk, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to encourage business with Intel. Nvidia has already invested in Intel and hired it for custom chip manufacturing, and Musk has agreed to build a chip plant with Intel in Texas. This deal could also help Apple diversify its chip supply away from Taiwan's TSMC, especially amid warnings of advanced chip shortages.