SK Hynix seeks US approval for equipment at Dalian NAND facility
Solidigm seeks equipment clearance tied to US factory plans
SK Hynix’s flash-memory subsidiary Solidigm is seeking US approval to send American semiconductor manufacturing equipment to its NAND facility in Dalian, China, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources. The request is linked to Solidigm’s plans to build a NAND flash factory in the United States, with upstate New York under consideration as a possible location.
Reuters reported that Solidigm wants to place additional manufacturing tools in spare space at SK Hynix’s Dalian plant in order to increase NAND output. SK Hynix, however, told TechCrunch that it is not seeking to expand capacity at the Dalian Mod B facility, which was completed in 2023.
The company said the equipment installation is being conducted in consultation with, and with authorisation from, the US government. That distinction is central: the reported request concerns access to US-origin equipment for an existing Chinese manufacturing site, not an announced capacity expansion by SK Hynix.
Export controls shape the operating options
Washington imposed broad restrictions on exports of advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to China in October 2022 on national-security grounds, then tightened the rules in 2023. In September 2025, the Trump administration revoked special export exemptions for certain SK Hynix, Samsung and Intel facilities in China.
The US subsequently granted annual licences to Samsung and SK Hynix for sending equipment to their China plants. Solidigm’s reported approach illustrates how manufacturers with production assets in China must work within that licensing structure while responding to demand and planning investment elsewhere.
NAND flash is used primarily in solid-state drives, spanning laptops, smartphones and AI data centres. Demand from AI data centres has contributed to wider component shortages and higher costs for data-centre hardware, including high-speed RAM and SSDs. TrendForce expects NAND prices to increase by 15% to 20% in the fourth quarter.
US manufacturing and capital plans remain in view
The US government has also pressed overseas chipmakers to manufacture more in America. In July, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he wanted Samsung and SK Hynix to construct chip plants in the country and that he was in talks with both companies.
Solidigm is reportedly preparing for a 2027 US initial public offering that could raise about $10 billion and value the company at as much as $100 billion. The backdrop also includes SK Hynix’s Nasdaq record and AI memory competition as a sign of investor attention to SK Hynix’s memory business and AI-related demand.
For businesses buying SSDs or building data-centre capacity, the practical implication is that NAND availability and pricing remain linked not only to AI demand, but also to export licences governing equipment at established manufacturing sites.