SK Hynix bargains for chip equipment exports to its China facility in return for building a factory in US

SK Hynix appears to be navigating choppy U.S.-China chipmaking waters. The company’s flash memory unit, Solidigm, is seeking U.S. approval to send American chipmaking equipment to its factory in Dalian, China, as a condition to continue building a semiconductor factory in the U.S., Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources.

SK海力士似乎正在中美芯片制造的波涛汹涌中航行。据路透社援引匿名消息人士的话报道，该公司旗下的闪存部门Solidigm正在寻求美国批准，将其美国芯片制造设备运往中国大连的工厂，以此作为继续在美国建设半导体工厂的条件。

Solidigm has been reportedly chalking up plans to build a NAND flash memory chip factory in the U.S. and is considering upstate New York as a potential location for the facility. NAND flash chips are primarily used in solid-state storage drives, which are employed in everything from laptops and smartphones to AI data centers.

据报道，Solidigm一直在筹划在美国建立一家NAND闪存芯片工厂，并正在考虑将纽约州北部作为该设施的潜在选址。NAND闪存芯片主要用于固态存储驱动器，这些驱动器被广泛应用于从笔记本电脑、智能手机到人工智能数据中心的各种设备中。

But the global component shortage, thanks to skyrocketing demand for AI data centers, has driven up prices for everything that goes into data centers, including high-speed RAM chips and SSDs. Research firm TrendForce expects NAND prices to rise 15% to 20% in the fourth quarter.

然而，由于人工智能数据中心的需求激增，全球零部件短缺推高了数据中心所需一切设备的价格，包括高速内存芯片和固态硬盘（SSD）。研究机构TrendForce预计，第四季度NAND价格将上涨15%至20%。

Reuters cited its sources as saying that Solidigm wants to install more chipmaking equipment in spare space at SK Hynix’s Dalian factory in China to boost NAND chip production. SK Hynix told TechCrunch it is not seeking to expand capacity at its Dalian Mod B facility, which was completed in 2023. The chip giant added that the equipment installation is being carried out in consultation with and under authorization from the U.S. government.

路透社援引消息人士的话称，Solidigm希望在SK海力士中国大连工厂的闲置空间内安装更多的芯片制造设备，以提高NAND芯片的产量。SK海力士向TechCrunch表示，公司并未寻求扩大其于2023年建成的大连Mod B工厂的产能。这家芯片巨头补充说，设备的安装是在与美国政府协商并获得其授权的情况下进行的。

Washington first imposed sweeping restrictions on advanced chips and chipmaking equipment exports to China in October 2022, citing national security concerns, and further tightened the rules in 2023. Then in September 2025, the Trump administration revoked special export exemptions for certain SK Hynix, Samsung, and Intel facilities in China.

华盛顿于2022年10月以国家安全为由，首次对向中国出口先进芯片和芯片制造设备实施了全面限制，并于2023年进一步收紧了相关规定。随后在2025年9月，特朗普政府撤销了SK海力士、三星和英特尔在华部分设施的特殊出口豁免权。

The U.S. has since granted an annual license to Samsung and SK Hynix for sending chipmaking equipment to their plants in China. The U.S. has also been pushing foreign chipmakers to build and expand their manufacturing facilities in America. In July, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he wanted Samsung and SK Hynix to build chip plants in the country and that he was in talks with both companies.

此后，美国向三星和SK海力士发放了年度许可证，允许其向在华工厂运送芯片制造设备。美国也一直在推动外国芯片制造商在美国建设和扩建其制造设施。今年7月，商务部长霍华德·卢特尼克（Howard Lutnick）表示，他希望三星和SK海力士在美国建厂，并称他正在与这两家公司进行商谈。

Solidigm is said to be preparing for a 2027 U.S. IPO that could raise around $10 billion and value it at up to $100 billion.

据悉，Solidigm正在为2027年的美国首次公开募股（IPO）做准备，此次募资额可能在100亿美元左右，估值最高可达1000亿美元。