South Korea's DRAM chip output share will reach 64% this year

Apr. 24, 2023 /SemiMedia/ -- According to Bloomberg, South Korea's dominance of the global memory chip market is set to expand as U.S. export controls to China alter the semiconductor supply chain.

South Korea's share of global DRAM chip output is likely to climb to 64% this year after several years of flatness, with China's share falling to 14%, according to TrendForce.

China's market share has been rising in recent years as Chinese companies such as YMTC and CXMT have rapidly expanded production capacity. However, Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron still dominate the global memory market.

In October 2022, the U.S. announced broad controls to make it harder for Chinese semiconductor producers to obtain equipment and expand production. About half of SK Hynix's DRAM chips are produced in China, and that share could drop to about 40% by 2030.

Although China is investing heavily in memory chips, it may be five to ten years before China can manufacture advanced DRAM on its own equipment.