SK hynix will lose NAND wafer orders costing $1.5–3.5 billion in foregone 2027 revenues.

On 15 October, Solidigm (SK hynix’s flash memory unit) was seeking US approval for more American chipmaking equipment at their Dalian plant. SK hynix says the equipment has already been approved, but Washington ended licence-free imports in 2025 and now issues limited one-year licences for existing production lines. Its current licence expires on 31 December, with no approval yet for 2027. Dalian already produces 30–40% of SK hynix’s NAND memory, and the new factory would add 50,000 wafers a month to its existing capacity of 100,000. Solidigm earned ₩12.25 trillion (US$8.3 billion) in revenue in the first half of 2026, and with NAND prices expected to rise 15–20% in the fourth quarter, production delays will cost it valuable sales. Meanwhile, Chinese memory producer YMTC’s NAND production is expected to grow 24% in 2027. Already the world’s third-largest NAND supplier, with a 14% share of shipments, YMTC relies on Chinese-made equipment facing no production hurdles. It is well placed to capture AI data-centre storage orders that Solidigm cannot fulfil. US restrictions on chipmaking equipment could therefore backfire, helping Chinese chipmakers capture more market share.