Nvidia Corp.
In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Moolenaar said shortages of DRAM, especially high-bandwidth memory used in AI accelerators, create an "immediate challenge" under the new licensing terms.
The rule requires exporters to certify that approved shipments to China will not trigger shortages in the U.S. market, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
Nvidia Responds to Supply Concerns
Nvidia said it regularly manages its supply chain and can fulfill all approved H200 orders without hurting supply for other products or customers.
High-bandwidth memory, built from stacked DRAM, comes mainly from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
Samsung Pushes Through Sharp Memory Price Hikes
Samsung is using a global memory chip shortage to push through sharp price increases, tightening the squeeze on customers across the technology supply chain.
The South Korean chipmaker has raised prices on key memory products by as much as 60% since September, according to Reuters, as demand from artificial intelligence data centers triggers panic ordering and drains available supply.
The shortage, driven largely by AI servers that rely heavily on DRAM, NAND, and high-bandwidth memory, is forcing companies that are expanding AI infrastructure to absorb higher costs.
Those pressures could eventually filter down to consumer products such as smartphones and PCs, which also depend on the same components.
Profit Pressure Mounts for Device Makers
Investors now have to weigh whether device makers like Apple Inc.
"They're in a tough position," said Rob Thummel, senior portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital, to Bloomberg. "They basically have two options: They can take a hit to margins, which the market won't like. Or they can raise prices to offset the higher memory costs, running the risk of hurting demand."
Rising memory costs have also weighed on chipmakers tied to smartphones, with recent downgrades citing the risk, including Qualcomm Inc
Meanwhile, memory and storage suppliers have kept rallying into 2026. Sandisk Corp.
