US targets 'memory factory', core of AI... Expert: "Must persuade the US while accelerating domestic base"

The US government's pressure on semiconductor companies to invest in the US is driven by a strategic interest in securing control of the AI supply chain by establishing advanced manufacturing bases domestically. The US currently has only one operating memory manufacturing plant, Micron's in Virginia, producing around 2% of the world's memory chips.

Samsung and SK Hynix, the top two memory semiconductor companies, are investing in US factories, but these are for foundry and advanced packaging, not memory production. The US is pushing for more memory manufacturing investment, driven by concerns over China's growing memory production capabilities and increasing demand for memory due to AI expansion.