GoKawiilSolidigm seeks US approval to ship chip tools to China plant tied to New York factory plan
SK Hynix's Solidigm unit is reportedly asking the U.S. government for permission to send American chipmaking equipment to its Dalian, China facility, linking that approval to its plan to build a NAND flash memory factory in upstate New York, according to Reuters sources. SK Hynix told TechCrunch it is not trying to expand capacity at Dalian and that the equipment move is being coordinated with and authorized by U.S. officials.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The request illustrates how chipmakers are threading U.S. export controls while still relying on Chinese facilities, especially after Washington revoked special exemptions for SK Hynix, Samsung and Intel plants in China in September 2025. Tying equipment access to a domestic investment commitment suggests companies may be using U.S. onshoring pledges as leverage to keep existing China operations running amid tightening restrictions and surging NAND demand from AI data centers.
- Solidigm wants U.S. approval to send chipmaking equipment to SK Hynix's Dalian, China plant.
- The request is reportedly linked to plans for a new NAND factory, possibly in upstate New York.
- U.S. policy has shifted from broad export curbs to annual licensing for SK Hynix and Samsung's China plants.
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See Solidigm P44 Pro NVMe SSD on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: techcrunch.com — Kate Park, 2026-10-15
Published there as: “SK Hynix bargains for chip equipment exports to its China facility in return for building a factory in US”
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