SK Hynix's New York plans face China equipment-license hurdle
Reuters reports a link between Dalian equipment approvals and possible U.S. NAND plants. Solidigm says no specific investment decision has been made.
U.S. approval for chipmaking equipment headed to SK Hynix's Dalian facility in China remains pending, complicating its Solidigm unit's possible New York manufacturing plans, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The report described a possible investment of about $45 billion in two NAND plants in Marcy, New York, with spending potentially reaching about $100 billion over time. Those figures are reported plans, not an announced commitment.
According to the report, SK Hynix argues that more production in Dalian would help finance its U.S. expansion. The Commerce Department has not formally denied the equipment license, and negotiations continue. That is different from a completed rejection or a new export-control rule.
Solidigm's stated position remains more cautious: it is exploring potential NAND factory locations around the world, but no decision on a specific course of action has been made. NAND memory retains data without power and is used for storage in data centers.
Financing is also unsettled. In an October 23 statement, SK Hynix said Solidigm had stopped reviewing a potential initial public offering because of market conditions and share-price trends, while continuing to assess investment timing, scale and other funding options.
The distinction for readers is between an investment under discussion and a factory project with final approvals, funding and a construction schedule. The reported New York proposal has not reached that final stage.
