According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple has also held preliminary discussions with CXMT about potentially sourcing memory components for devices sold within China, citing people familiar with the matter. CXMT's memory products can reportedly be priced at similar or even higher levels than components supplied by established global manufacturers including Micron Technology, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics. U.S. export controls prevent American companies from transferring certain technologies to CXMT, potentially limiting Apple's ability to collaborate with the manufacturer on customised memory products. Export-control lawyer Kevin Wolf told The Wall Street Journal that off-the-shelf memory products can still be used under the current restrictions. AI memory crunch weighs on smartphones and PCsThe global shortage of memory components is already beginning to affect consumer electronics shipments.