Solidigm floats $45 billion U.S. chip plant tied to Dalian license: Bloomberg

SK hynix’s California-based NAND flash subsidiary Solidigm is in talks with the U.S. Commerce Department to invest $45 billion in a chip factory in the United States, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

The talks are contingent on the Korean chipmaker obtaining Washington's approval to ship equipment to upgrade its Dalian plant in China, as pent-up memory demand calls for more output from its facilities. Solidigm told U.S. officials that upgrading the Dalian plant would help finance the new U.S. site and speed up its development.

Solidigm is telling the Commerce Department that total investment in the new U.S. factory could reach $100 billion. Bloomberg reported that New York is among the leading candidates for the site, and construction could begin next year.

The report comes after SK hynix withdrew its plan to take Solidigm public through an initial public offering on Thursday.

Washington revoked validated end-user status for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in August 2025, which means the chipmakers must renew their licenses annually to bring equipment into their China operations.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]