Two US representatives have urged the Trump administration to prevent American companies from buying memory chips made by Chinese manufacturers YMTC and CXMT. They argue that reliance on these suppliers could expose Western firms to subsidised Chinese competition, weaken domestic and allied memory production, and indirectly support China’s military; the move could also remove a potential source of relief during a global memory shortage.

CXMT makes DRAM used in devices and servers, while YMTC produces NAND flash storage, and both have reportedly been assessed by major PC makers including Apple, Dell and HP as memory prices rise. Existing US restrictions limit their access to American chipmaking technology but do not generally bar US firms from purchasing their products; the lawmakers want an executive order or directive to close that gap. They say greater manufacturing capacity, rather than dependence on Chinese chips, is the answer to high prices.