What was reported
SK hynix is in talks with Intel about manufacturing memory chips in the United States, Reuters reported in an exclusive based on people familiar with the discussions, who were not named. It would be the first time the South Korean company has made memory chips on American soil.
According to the Reuters report, as relayed by TechCrunch and TNW, the companies have discussed more than one arrangement. In one, SK hynix would lease part of Intel’s planned chipmaking site in Ohio. In another, the two would form a joint venture that could bring in large cloud providers looking for a secure supply of memory.
What the companies say
SK hynix did not confirm the talks. “No specific plans or arrangements have been finalized at this time,” the company told TechCrunch, adding that no decisions had been made on the two scenarios in the report. TNW reported that Intel declined to comment on what it called speculation, while saying it is still investing in preparing the Ohio site. Intel did not immediately respond to TechCrunch.
Why Ohio, and why now
Intel’s Ohio project has slipped. Investing.com reported that construction delays have pushed the planned start of production there to 2030 and 2031. The two companies have done business before: in 2020 Intel sold its NAND flash memory business to SK hynix for $9 billion, according to TechCrunch.
SK hynix already has a US project, but only at the back end of the process. It is building an advanced packaging plant in West Lafayette, Indiana, which will take DRAM wafers made in South Korea and package them into high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the stacked chips placed alongside AI processors. According to TechCrunch, mass production there is expected to begin in 2029. Making the memory itself in the US would cost more than at home because of labour, construction and the supplier base, Reuters reported, according to TNW.
Pressure from Washington and Seoul
Demand for HBM from AI data centres has contributed to a memory shortage. The Trump administration wants more chips made in the US, and TechCrunch notes the White House said in January it could impose broader tariffs on imported semiconductors while offering relief to companies that invest in domestic manufacturing. TNW cites a January Bloomberg report that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers could face tariffs of up to 100% if they do not build in America.
Any deal could also be examined at home. South Korea’s trade ministry said the decision lies with the company, but that a deal involving national core technology would be reviewed under the country’s Industrial Technology Protection Act, TNW reported.
Market reaction
SK hynix shares closed 4.1% higher in Korea, and its US-listed shares gained 3.3%, Investing.com reported. Intel rose as much as 5% in premarket trading before paring the gain to 3.2%, after SK hynix said nothing had been finalised.
What to watch
The next signals are whether either company confirms an agreement, what kind of memory would be made in Ohio, which TechCrunch says remains unclear, and whether Seoul opens a review of the technology involved.
