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Apple's bid to buy from a blacklisted chip supplier makes the semiconductor shortage political

7/25/2026

The chip shortage has acquired a sharper political edge. Apple is seeking government clearance to purchase semiconductors from a Chinese company on the U.S.

blacklist, a move driven by surging AI demand that a top Democrat is now using as evidence the Trump administration is making the shortage worse.

The case for Apple's request and the case against it run directly through the same set of trade restrictions.

AI demand and the limits of cleared supply Apple's waiver request tells a physical-flows story: authorized supply chains are not meeting demand.