Apple is lobbying the Trump administration for permission to buy memory chips from ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), a Chinese manufacturer added to the Pentagon’s Section 1260H list of Chinese military-linked companies on June 8, 2026. Apple is engaging directly with the Commerce Department and Treasury officials, seeking assurances that CXMT won’t face stricter regulations. Around June 25, Apple rolled out significant price increases across Macs and iPads, including a $100 bump on the MacBook Neo. CEO Tim Cook described the memory price increases as “unsustainable” during a mid-June discussion with the Wall Street Journal. The root cause is demand reallocation, as AI data centers consume DRAM and memory components, leaving consumer electronics makers scrambling. Apple’s CXMT gambit faces opposition from a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Rep. John Moolenaar, who argue it would deepen US tech dependence on China. Domestic memory producers like Micron have invested billions in expanding American chip manufacturing, partly through CHIPS Act subsidies. Reports from late June documented Apple’s active engagement with multiple federal agencies, suggesting a coordinated campaign. Medical device makers and other electronics companies are also seeking government intervention as memory chips get vacuumed up by data center buildouts.