Apple appears to have canceled that plan, as we reported (opens in new tab) In September, we sourced 3D NAND chips from Chinese manufacturer YMTC (Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp).According to the article in the movement Nikkei Asia (opens in new tab)is under political pressure from the U.S. government.
The article, citing “multiple sources,” alleges that Apple’s deal violates US export controls imposed on China, even though the long certification process for the 128-layer storage chip has been completed. These chips are said to be the most advanced ever made by a Chinese foundry, still lagging behind chips from Samsung and Micron, but have been subsidized by the Chinese government. It is significantly cheaper because it has received
iPhones destined for the Chinese market had planned to use Chinese-made flash, but according to one of the sources at Nikkei Asia, the Cupertino-based phone company has decided to add YMTC to up to 40% of all iPhone flash storage. It is said that it is considering installing 3D. Nando. His YMTC product has yet to appear on Apple hardware.
The move that triggered the cancellation was the YMTC’s placement on the unconfirmed list on October 7th. This is a non-punitive action, meaning that good faith (i.e., legitimacy) cannot be verified by federal officials acting on behalf of the US Bureau of Industry and Security or BIS. End-Use and End-User Reliability for Items Subject to the EAR [Export Administration Regulations]Subtitle B states that end-use checks, such as pre-licensing checks (PLC) and post-shipment verification (PSV), cannot be satisfactorily completed for reasons outside the control of the U.S. Government, and such persons are subject to Chapter VII , sub-chapter C, Part 744 of Proper Title 15 Federal Regulations (opens in new tab).
What this means is that while Apple can import finished chips from the YMTC, it is prohibited from exporting the know-how that goes into making them, or from sharing designs and technology without a special license. It means that there is
The Unverified List should not be confused with the Entity List, which includes people, businesses, and even states involved in “activities sanctioned by the Department of State and activities contrary to the national security and/or foreign policy interests of the United States.” This includes Huawei as of May. 2019, or the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, which targets U.S. designated terrorists, officials and beneficiaries of certain authoritarian regimes, and international criminals. YMTC is none of those.
Neither company has commented on the matter. However, a senior U.S. Department of Commerce official told Nikkei Asia that companies added to the Unverified List could be added to the Entity List if they fail to provide the required verification information within a period of time, often 60 days. said it was “high”.
