Apple is reportedly testing memory chips manufactured by Chinese company CXMT for use across its device lineup, including iPhones and MacBooks, as the company explores options to cope with an ongoing global memory chip shortage that has intensified as AI-driven demand strains the supply base long dominated by Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple has held early discussions with CXMT about supplying chips for devices sold specifically in the Chinese market, citing people familiar with the matter. A China-specific sourcing arrangement would represent a notable shift for Apple, which has historically relied on the established trio of Korean and American memory giants across its global product lines.

Apple is seeking approval from the White House for the potential arrangement, which could face regulatory scrutiny under rules designed to prevent U.S. firms from transferring technology and sensitive data to Chinese companies, including CXMT. The Journal noted that while existing regulations permit Apple to purchase off-the-shelf components from CXMT, the company would be prohibited from ordering custom chips built to its own specifications. Should the arrangement proceed, Apple may be required to redesign certain components of its China-sold products to accommodate standard CXMT chips.

The global memory chip shortage has affected multiple manufacturers. Laptop makers HP and Acer have secured limited quantities of memory chips and are working to lock in additional supplies for next year, the Journal reported. The deals involving HP and Acer were previously covered by Nikkei Asia.

Apple has raised prices on its products in markets worldwide, attributing the increases to surging memory chip costs driven by demand from artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The AI sector's heavy consumption of advanced memory, particularly high-bandwidth memory used in data center accelerators, has tightened availability of conventional DRAM and NAND chips used in consumer electronics.

CXMT is the largest chipmaking company in China by market value and has emerged as the world's fastest-growing supplier of DRAM memory chips, the report noted. Reuters previously reported that the firm was considering building a second memory chip plant in Beijing to expand its output. The Journal's report indicated that CXMT has maxed out its production capacity this year. The company is currently prioritizing domestic Chinese technology firms and aims to more than double its existing production capacity by 2028.

U.S. companies face restrictions in their dealings with CXMT because the firm appears on a Pentagon list due to alleged links with the Chinese military. The list states that CXMT is directly and indirectly affiliated with the Chinese government's Ministry of Information Technology and is also indirectly linked to an agency that manages and supervises state-owned enterprises. Any Apple-CXMT partnership would unfold against the backdrop of broader U.S.-China semiconductor tensions, where Washington has progressively tightened export controls on advanced chip technology to China while Beijing has pushed for greater self-sufficiency in domestic chip production.

Apple has separately committed to investing $30 billion in U.S. chip manufacturing.

FOX Business reached out to Apple and CXMT for comment. Reuters contributed to this report.