SK Hynix Considering New York Investment Amid Dalian Equipment Permit Negotiations

The U.S. Commerce Department has not yet approved export licenses for American-made semiconductor equipment needed by SK Hynix to expand production at its Dalian, China plant, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. The license negotiations are tied to a New York factory plan by SK Hynix's U.S. subsidiary Solidigm, which is considering building two NAND flash plants in Marcy, New York, with investment of about $45 billion (roughly 60.5 trillion won) and potentially up to $100 billion (about 134.4 trillion won) longer term. SK Hynix is linking the Dalian expansion to funding for its U.S. investment, according to the report. The outcome matters because it determines whether the Korean chipmaker can scale Chinese output while committing large-scale capital to U.S. soil. What to watch next is whether Commerce grants the Dalian equipment licenses and whether Solidigm finalizes the Marcy plant plans.