SK Hynix bargains for chip equipment exports to its China facility in return for building a factory in US
News Source
β’Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:45:37 +0000
π° What Happened
Reuters reported that Solidigm, the flash memory unit of South Korea's SK Hynix, is asking the United States for approval to send American chipmaking equipment to its factory in Dalian, China. Sources told Reuters the request is tied to Solidigm's plan to build a new NAND flash chip factory in the US, possibly in upstate New York.
SK Hynix told TechCrunch it is not expanding the Dalian factory, which was completed in 2023, and that the equipment work is being done with US authorisation.
π The Backstory
Washington first limited exports of advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to China in 2022, and tightened the rules in 2023. In September 2025 the Trump administration removed special exemptions for some SK Hynix, Samsung and Intel plants in China, then granted annual licences instead. The US has also been pushing foreign chipmakers to build factories on American soil, and the Commerce Secretary said in July he was talking to both Samsung and SK Hynix about it.
Solidigm is reported to be preparing for a 2027 US share sale.
π― Why It Matters
NAND chips are used in solid-state drives, which AI data centres need in huge numbers. Demand has pushed prices up, and the research firm TrendForce expects them to rise 15 to 20 percent this quarter, which can feed into the cost of many products. The case shows how companies must balance American and Chinese rules at the same time, with neither side easy to satisfy.
Reuters reported that Solidigm, the flash memory unit of South Korea's SK Hynix, is asking the United States for approval to send American chipmaking equipment to its factory in Dalian, China. Sources told Reuters the request is tied to Solidigm's plan to build a new NAND flash chip factory in the US, possibly in upstate New York.
SK Hynix told TechCrunch it is not expanding the Dalian factory, which was completed in 2023, and that the equipment work is being done with US authorisation.
Washington first limited exports of advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to China in 2022, and tightened the rules in 2023. In September 2025 the Trump administration removed special exemptions for some SK Hynix, Samsung and Intel plants in China, then granted annual licences instead. The US has also been pushing foreign chipmakers to build factories on American soil, and the Commerce Secretary said in July he was talking to both Samsung and SK Hynix about it.
Solidigm is reported to be preparing for a 2027 US share sale.
NAND chips are used in solid-state drives, which AI data centres need in huge numbers. Demand has pushed prices up, and the research firm TrendForce expects them to rise 15 to 20 percent this quarter, which can feed into the cost of many products. The case shows how companies must balance American and Chinese rules at the same time, with neither side easy to satisfy.