SK Hynix in Talks With Intel to Build Memory Chips in the US, Reuters Reports
SK Hynix is discussing making RAM chips in the United States for the first time, including a possible lease at Intel's planned Ohio plant or a joint venture. The company says no plans are finalized.
According to Reuters, the two companies have discussed several options. One would have SK Hynix lease space at Intel's planned factory in Ohio to produce the chips. The two chipmakers are also said to be considering a joint venture that could include cloud service providers.
"SK Hynix is exploring various options to strengthen its global competitiveness, but no specific plans or arrangements have been finalized at this time," the company said in a statement to TechCrunch. "No decisions have been made regarding the two scenarios mentioned in the article."
It remains unclear what types of memory chips SK Hynix would produce in Ohio if a deal goes through.
The Korean company has benefited from surging demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in data centers for AI applications. It is already building a $3.8 billion advanced packaging and research facility for AI chips in West Lafayette, Indiana, with mass production expected to begin in 2029. That plant will use DRAM wafers made in South Korea and package them into HBM chips.
The talks come as a global chip shortage worsens and the Trump administration seeks to expand semiconductor production on American soil. The White House said in January that it could impose broader tariffs on semiconductor imports while offering tariff relief to companies investing in domestic manufacturing.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won signaled support for U.S. chip production in July, saying the company should build factories in the United States, if feasible, alongside those in South Korea's Honam region. That month, the chipmaker listed its American depository receipts on the Nasdaq, broadening its access to American investors.
A potential deal with Intel could face scrutiny at home. Seoul holds that the decision would be up to SK Hynix, but any plan involving strategically important chip technology could trigger a government review under a law designed to prevent sensitive technology from being transferred overseas, according to Reuters.
Intel and SK Hynix have done business before: in 2020, Intel sold its NAND flash memory business to SK Hynix for $9 billion.
Intel did not immediately respond to TechCrunch's request for comment outside regular business hours.
Editor's Summary
SK Hynix is weighing whether to make memory chips in the United States for the first time, through either a lease at Intel's planned Ohio factory or a joint venture, although the company says nothing has been finalized. The talks reflect pressure to move chip production onshore as U.S. tariffs and a global shortage reshape supply chains. Any agreement could also draw a South Korean government review over the transfer of sensitive technology.