A new report reveals the rather obvious fact that Apple has been testing CXMT memory in more than the iPhone, but also says that competitors are shipping hardware overseas with the controversial RAM already.

The global chip shortage has seen Apple looking to use memory made by China's CXMT, even though the firm is blacklisted by the US. It's not a solution, and it isn't the lower-cost answer Apple hoped for, but reportedly the company is continuing to test the chips.

According to the Wall Street Journal, though, that testing is for the Mac as well as the previously reported iPhone.

This is obvious, though. While the iPhone is Apple's greatest seller, all of its devices require memory, and all are on the same Apple Silicon architecture. So if Apple were to test CXMT memory at all, it would be odd if it wasn't doing so for Macs.

Rivals are already selling overseas

What's new, though, is that the report claims that both HP and Acer are already using CXMT memory in devices being sold outside the US. Neither company appears to have asked the US government about this, although strictly speaking they have no reason to.

Nor does Apple, if the Chinese chips are to be used exclusively in devices made overseas for local sale. Nonetheless, aware of the politically sensitive issue, Apple has asked the administration for permission.

Apple may have done that expressly because it sells devices to the US government, but so do HP and Acer. The US Department of Defense cannot buy from third parties that use components made by firms on the Chinese Military Company Blacklist.

CXMT was briefly removed from that list in February 2026, but reappeared on its next update in June 2026. The company is not, however, on what's called the Entity List, which would have precluded US firms from any dealings with it.

Consequently, as long as the manufacturing and the sales of devices using CXMT chips is entirely outside the US, HP, Acer, and Apple do not as yet require permission or exemptions. Apple may be more cautious than its rivals politically,

Conceivably HP and Acer have asked permission, that just hasn't been made public. We couldn't find any permissions granted anywhere.

The administration does not appear to have approved Apple's request yet. But whatever the reasons for the request, Apple was originally said to be testing these CXMT chips, which presumably is not barred.

More recently, however, Apple was rebuffed by CXMT when it attempted to negotiate a lower price for whatever quantity of memory it needs.

It was reported that CXMT does not need orders from Apple as it is supplying Huawei and Xiaomi. Consequently, while it did quote a price for Apple, that price is the same as Samsung and SK Hynix are offering.

Apple does normally have significant buying power. But this has been eroded significantly as demand from AI firms has pushed the price of chips up, and their availability down.