US government wants Samsung to make more memory chips in the country

Memory chip supply has become a significant bottleneck in the AI infrastructure build-out. They're in extremely short supply and there are really only three companies in the world that can do something about this.

Samsung is one of those companies, alongside Korean compatriot SK Hynix and US-based Micron. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has publicly called upon both Samsung and SK Hynix to expand memory chip production in the US.

Lutnick was speaking at an event organized by Micron. He highlighted that Micron was aggressively expanding domestic production of memory chips, adding that its Korean rivals Samsung and SK Hynix have “no choice but to follow” and invest in US-based memory manufacturing.

Lutnick added that he's actively discussing expansion plans with executives from both Korean memory giants.

He understands that this might create domestic friction and that Micron may not be too thrilled about its biggest competitors increasing their investment in Micron's home country, but ultimately this is about “strengthening America's semiconductor supply chain.”

Samsung has already invested billions into new manufacturing facilities in the United States, but they're so far aimed at producing chips for other companies on advanced processes. Samsung tends to keep memory chip production back at home, so it remains to be seen if it will expand that footprint to the United States as well.