Foreign media: SK hynix in talks over bringing equipment into Dalian, China, as a condition for building a U.S. plant

[The Financial News] A foreign media report says SK hynix is in talks with the U.S. government to bring additional U.S.-made semiconductor equipment into its plant in Dalian, China, on the condition that it build a plant in the United States.
According to major international media outlets and semiconductor industry sources on the 15th, Solidigm, SK hynix’s second-tier subsidiary, has reportedly asked the U.S. government for permission to bring in new NAND flash (NAND) production equipment for an unused area in “Mode B” at its Dalian site in China. Solidigm was formed after SK hynix acquired Intel’s NAND business. Mode B was built in 2023, but equipment installation was not completed at the time because of a downturn in the memory market.
The report said expanded production at the Dalian plant in China could help raise the funds needed to build Solidigm’s NAND plant in the United States. Earlier, reports also emerged that Solidigm was considering building a NAND production plant, with upstate New York as a leading candidate location. In response, SK hynix said, “We are bringing in the equipment without issue after receiving approval,” and, “We are not considering expanding production capacity.”
It was also reported that Solidigm is considering pursuing an initial public offering (IPO) as early as next year.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government is tightening restrictions on bringing advanced equipment into semiconductor production facilities in China. Last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce revoked the blanket authorization for importing U.S.-made semiconductor equipment that had applied to Samsung Electronics’ and SK hynix’s factories in China. It later stated that it would allow only equipment imports necessary to operate existing factories and would not approve equipment for expanding production capacity or upgrading technology.
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