SK Hynix bargains for chip equipment exports to its China facility in return for building a factory in US
SK Hynix’s Solidigm is reportedly seeking US approval to send more chipmaking equipment to China as it weighs building a new NAND chip factory in America.
Key points
- SK Hynix's Solidigm unit is seeking U.S. approval to send chipmaking equipment to its Dalian, China factory as a condition for building a U.S. semiconductor plant.
- Solidigm is considering upstate New York for a NAND flash memory chip factory.
- The U.S. revoked special export exemptions for certain SK Hynix, Samsung, and Intel facilities in China in September 2025, later granting annual licenses.
SK Hynix's flash memory unit, Solidigm, is seeking U.S. approval to export American chipmaking equipment to its factory in Dalian, China, according to a Reuters report citing anonymous sources. The request is tied to Solidigm's plans to build a semiconductor factory in the U.S., with upstate New York under consideration as a potential location.
The company wants to install more chipmaking equipment in spare space at SK Hynix's Dalian facility to increase NAND flash memory chip production. NAND chips are used in solid-state drives for laptops, smartphones, and AI data centers.
What SK Hynix said
SK Hynix told TechCrunch it is not seeking to expand capacity at its Dalian Mod B facility, which was completed in 2023. The company said the equipment installation is being carried out in consultation with and under authorization from the U.S. government.
not seeking to expand capacity at its Dalian Mod B facility
— SK Hynix
Export restrictions and U.S. pressure
The U.S. first imposed sweeping restrictions on advanced chips and chipmaking equipment exports to China in October 2022, citing national security concerns, and tightened the rules in 2023. In September 2025, the Trump administration revoked special export exemptions for certain SK Hynix, Samsung, and Intel facilities in China. 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 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. 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.
