Tech war: China’s top memory chip maker YMTC sees rising domestic demand, defying US curbs

China’s top memory chip maker, Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC), is seeing a surge in demand for its flash memory chips, which have become a top choice for local clients, particularly those working in government and military-related projects, as Beijing strives to cut reliance on foreign semiconductor products.

Demand for locally manufactured components, from graphics processing units to flash memory chips, has been surging, as China embarks on an ambitious drive to expand computing infrastructure to support generative artificial intelligence development.

Leading industry players from YMTC to Huawei Technologies have become some of the biggest beneficiaries of this national endeavour. YMTC’s growing business momentum defied expectations that it might have to quit the 3D NAND flash memory market after being added to a US trade blacklist in late 2022.

As the Wuhan-based company continued to achieve breakthroughs in cutting-edge products, it has become a favourite supplier for government-related projects in the country, according to two people involved in the domestic chip industry, who requested anonymity to share private information.

YMTC, which remains privately owned, does not disclose business operation and financial information.

In a statement to the Post, YMTC said that its technology “is not military grade nor fitted for military applications”. “YMTC has never supplied its technology or products for any military use, nor have we been directed by any entity to supply its technology or products for military use,” the company said. “YMTC has no knowledge of any military-related project that has adopted YMTC’s products.”

Prices of YMTC’s enterprise-level NAND flash memory chips have risen over the past months on strong local demand, which exceeds the firm’s current production capacity, said one of the sources, adding that government-related entities have prioritised YMTC over its foreign rivals such as US-based Micron Technology and South Korean giant Samsung Electronics.

While YMTC received a US$7 billion capital boost from state-backed investors last year, the US-sanctioned company is facing production challenges, as it is not only barred from purchasing the latest chip-manufacturing equipment from foreign suppliers, but also denied access to some maintenance services.

YMTC’s Wuhan plant earlier this year halted production because of a machine failure, forcing the company to borrow machines from another local fab, according to one of the sources, and a third person familiar with the matter.

YMTC shocked the industry in 2022, when Canadian research firm TechInsights said the Chinese company had produced a “232-layer NAND flash”, an advancement that put it ahead of global giants such as Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix at the time. Two weeks after that report came out, Washington added YMTC to its export blacklist, despite the company’s efforts to comply with US on-site inspections.
YMTC has narrowed its gap with leading memory chip manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics over the years. Photo: Bloomberg

Chinese semiconductor experts have called on the government to favour locally-made products when building computing systems.

One of them, self-sufficiency advocate Ni Guangnan, said during the Nanjing World Semiconductor Conference last year that the government should mandate the use of domestically-produced solid-state drives in its procurement policy and tender documents instead of choosing the lowest-priced tender price by default.

Micron and Samsung both saw revenue drop in China last year. The US firm recorded a revenue fall of 34 per cent in mainland China and 80 per cent in Hong Kong for its financial year ending August, while the South Korean company said its revenue in China was down 21 per cent.

Globally, NAND flash sales sank last year as demand collapsed, according to a report by research firm IDC, prompting Samsung and SK Hynix to cut production. But the market has shown early signs of a pickup this year, according to Taiwan-based researcher TrendForce.

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

<p>2027 BMW iX3 (China)</p>

BMW Drops The Pop-Out Door Handles For China’s iX3

The long-wheelbase BMW iX3 has semi-enclosed door handles. BMW plans to sell the stretched iX3 outside China. Compared to the global version, it adds a camera mounted in the roof spoiler. When BMW teased the iX3 for China at the beginning of the year, it showed a prototype with the same flush door handles as

S. Alex Yang

The rise of Chinese platform state

LONDON/LOS ANGELES – China’s just-concluded “Two Sessions” – the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – delivered a clear message: technology will be the primary engine of the country’s economic future. In its 15th Five-Year Plan, the government again highlighted the development of “new quality productive forces,”

Are Bibles banned in China? Not quite

Are Bibles banned in China? Not quite

China (MNN)—Kurt Rovenstine, of Bibles for China, disagrees with recent claims that China is one of the countries leading a trend of banning the Bible, as reported in a recent article. “The way these articles are framed and the statements that they make, I think you have to be able to dig a little bit

Second flight to China from Kol starts daily ops

Second flight to China from Kol starts daily ops | Kolkata News

Kolkata: After the direct air connectivity between Kolkata and China resumed, the second non-stop flight to the neighbouring country was launched. IndiGo started a daily flight to Shanghai from the city on Sunday. The services were resumed last Oct with a flight to Guangzhou. This was also launched by IndiGo.A flight to Kunming will also

Thousands Of Travellers Stranded Around China Today As Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, And More Cancel 462 And Delay 5413 Flights, Grounding China Southern, China Eastern, Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, And Others

Thousands Of Travellers Stranded Around China Today As Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, And More Cancel 462 And Delay 5413 Flights, Grounding China Southern, China Eastern, Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, And Others

Home » Latest Travel News » Thousands Of Travellers Stranded Around China Today As Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, And More Cancel 462 And Delay 5413 Flights, Grounding China Southern, China Eastern, Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, And Others Published on March 31, 2026 Image generated with Ai Thousands of passengers were grounded in China today

Thousands Of Passengers Trapped Around Asia Today As Thailand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, And Malaysia Cancel 470 And Delay 6,712 Flights, Disrupting AirAsia, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, And Other Airlines In Shenzhen, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok, And More

Thousands Of Passengers Trapped Around Asia Today As Thailand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, And Malaysia Cancel 470 And Delay 6,712 Flights, Disrupting AirAsia, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, And Other Airlines In Shenzhen, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok, And More

Home » Latest Travel News » Thousands Of Passengers Trapped Around Asia Today As Thailand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, And Malaysia Cancel 470 And Delay 6,712 Flights, Disrupting AirAsia, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, And Other Airlines In Shenzhen, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok, And More Published on March 31, 2026 Image generated with

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

China keeps Iranian oil moving through Hormuz as war reshapes trade

In early March, a Chinese-owned oil tanker moved through the Strait of Hormuz. It was one of just three vessels to pass through the strait that day. Only one of them — carrying Iranian crude — is bound for China. Iran war live updates: For the latest on the Middle East conflict, read our blog.

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin shaking hands

Analyst warns US could lose conflict if China’s Iran support goes unchecked

Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to warn China’s support for Iran could escalate the conflict and raise risks of a broader global war ahead of President Donald Trump’s Beijing trip. The growing alignment between China, Russia, and Iran raises new concerns about the trajectory of the conflict in the Middle

Wondering where China’s cyber effort will go next? Just read the five-year plan

Wondering where China’s cyber effort will go next? Just read the five-year plan

Most cyber analysis begins with incidents. It should begin with intent. Adversaries sometimes declare strategic priorities, yet cyber incidents that align with them are not assessed accordingly. We should in fact be guarding against intrusions before they happen by taking note of foreign and industrial policies that indicate where they’re likely to concentrate. This methodology

China Sends Fuel to Struggling Southeast Asia Despite Export Ban

China Sends Fuel to Struggling Southeast Asia Despite Export Ban

Despite a ban on fuel exports from early this month, China has delivered cargoes of diesel and other fuels to Southeast Asia in recent days in a sign that Beijing seeks to alleviate the regional crisis and retain diplomatic leverage. Two weeks after the war in the Middle East began and after it became clear

A Mercedes Benz car showroom from the outside with large logo

German Firms Trapped Between US And China, Study Finds

Germany’s largest companies are deeply entangled with rival businesses in China and the US, and unable to escape either superpower, according to new research published today [30 March 2026] by the University of Sussex and King’s College London. While it is widely known that Germany is caught between the US and China, this new research

Toyota's China Problem Is Getting Harder To Ignore — TradingView News

Toyota Reports 2.3% Sales Drop as China Weakness Deepens — TradingView News

Toyota Motor Corp. TM is starting to show early signs of strain as February data points to softening demand in key markets, particularly China, where competition in electric vehicles continues to intensify. The company reported a 2.3% year-over-year decline in global sales to 806,905 units, with Toyota and Lexus brand sales in China falling 13.9%

Russia Sends Nuclear-Capable Tu-95 Bombers Toward Japan in Regional Power Play

China Reportedly Goes Submarine Hunting Near Okinawa, Japanese Fighters Scrambled — UNITED24 Media

Japan scrambled fighter jets after detecting a Chinese military aircraft operating over the East China Sea, with early assessments suggesting the platform may be a new or modified submarine-hunting variant. Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported on March 30 that an Air Self-Defense Force response was triggered after a Chinese patrol aircraft was spotted flying southwest of Okinawa on March 28. We bring you stories from the ground.

Toyota's China Problem Is Getting Harder To Ignore — TradingView News

Toyota’s China Problem Is Getting Harder To Ignore — TradingView News

Toyota Motor TM is starting to feel the heat, with February sales slipping 2.3% year over year to 806,905 units as pressure builds in China and demand softens at home. The biggest drag came from China, where Toyota and Lexus sales dropped 13.9%, while production fell 11.5%. The company partly blamed the shifting timing of

China Strategic Technology Group posts loss for year rmb463.4 million

USPACE Technology Group Ltd, formerly Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group Ltd is an investment holding company mainly engaged in electronic manufacturing services (EMS) business. The Company operates its business through three segments. The EMS Business-Smart Home Device segment is principally engaged in the production of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) and fully assembled electronic products,

China's expanding role in Central Asia: Economic dominance and geopolitical risks

China and Kyrgyzstan – stages of interaction

Editor’s note: Moses Becker is a special political commentator for News.Az. He holds a PhD in political science and specializes in interethnic and interreligious relations. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of News.Az. As part of the former Soviet Union, the Kyrgyz SSR was

China launches Dongbi Index to challenge impact factor dominance

China launches Dongbi Index to challenge impact factor dominance

Image: Shutterstock.com/Ikkiae001 Chinese researchers have introduced a new methodology for evaluating medical and life science journals that moves beyond the traditional reliance on journal impact factors, in a development seen as part of wider efforts to strengthen the country’s “academic discourse power”. According to the South China Morning Post two new Dongbi Index journal lists

Pak offers to mediate between Iran and US after Gulf FMs meet, gets China’s support

Pak offers to mediate between Iran and US after Gulf FMs meet, gets China’s support

Pakistan said on Sunday (March 29, 2026) that it is ready to “host and facilitate meaningful talks” between the United States and Iran to bring an end to the month-long war that has destabilise the region. Outlining growing support for its peace efforts, including from the United Nations and China, Pakistan issued a statement after

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x