SK Hynix, Intel reportedly discussing US memory chip production
South Korea's SK Hynix is in talks with Intel about manufacturing RAM chips in the US for the first time, Reuters reports. Options under discussion include leasing space at Intel's planned Ohio plant or forming a joint venture.
South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix is discussing with Intel the possibility of producing RAM chips on US soil for the first time, according to a Reuters report citing anonymous sources.
Among the options reportedly on the table is SK Hynix leasing space at Intel's planned factory in Ohio. The companies are also said to be weighing a joint venture that could potentially involve cloud-service providers.
In a statement to TechCrunch on Wednesday, SK said it is exploring various options to strengthen its global competitiveness but that no specific plans have been finalized, and no decisions have been made regarding either scenario described in the report.
Existing Indiana investment
SK Hynix is already building a $3.8 billion advanced packaging and research facility in West Lafayette, Indiana, with mass production slated to start in 2029. That plant will take DRAM wafers manufactured in South Korea and package them into high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI data centers. It remains unclear what type of memory chips would be produced in Ohio should the Intel arrangement move forward.
Amid a worsening global chip shortage, the Trump administration has been pushing to expand semiconductor production domestically. In January, the White House indicated it could impose broader tariffs on chip imports while offering relief to companies investing in US manufacturing. In July, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won voiced support for building US factories alongside the company's operations in South Korea's Honam region, and SK Hynix listed American depositary receipts on the Nasdaq that same month.
Any deal with Intel could draw scrutiny in South Korea, where a law aimed at preventing the transfer of strategically sensitive chip technology overseas could trigger a government review, though Seoul maintains the ultimate decision rests with SK Hynix. The two companies have a history of dealing with each other: in 2020, Intel sold its NAND flash-memory business to SK Hynix for $9 billion. Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
