U.S. presses South Korean chipmakers on domestic memory fabs

The U.S. government is reportedly in talks with South Korea to secure major investment in memory chip production on American soil. The push focuses on DRAM fabrication, a market largely centered in South Korea through companies such as SK hynix and Samsung.

Washington is seeking to encourage South Korean memory makers to commit to American DRAM fabs as concerns grow over supply chain resilience. The negotiations are taking place during the Trump administration and reflect dissatisfaction with the scale and pace of Korean companies’ U.S. investment, including delays tied to previously promised expansions.

The planned strategic investment would be separate from earlier commitments and would represent a new buildout worth billions of U.S. dollars. A new investment package is expected to be announced sometime in September, offering more detail on how South Korean memory makers plan to structure their U.S. expansion.