SK hynix’s proposal to invest approximately $45 billion in two new memory-chip plants in New York faces significant delays. The U.S. Commerce Department has postponed approving export licenses for American chipmaking equipment the company needs at its Dalian, China, facility.
SK hynix says expanding production in Dalian would help fund its planned U.S. expansion. Executives from Solidigm, the company’s U.S. subsidiary, have held multiple discussions with Commerce Department officials since August but have not secured the licenses.
The delay highlights the challenges semiconductor companies face amid U.S.-China technology trade restrictions. If the licenses are not granted, SK hynix could reconsider the scale of its U.S. investment or explore other locations for its new NAND production facilities.