Beijing has been desperate to address its shortage of high-bandwidth memory. The problem has throttled domestic efforts to scale AI chip production and left companies leaning on dwindling pre-ban inventory. Now CXMT appears to be edging closer to volume manufacturing and local autonomy.

According to DigiTimes, the sample shipment is a “precursor” to full-blown production later this year. CXMT still trails global players like SK hynix by at least three years, but this shipment marks a rare bit of progress in China's otherwise throttled memory ambitions.

The firm is planning to launch its own HBM3E by 2027. That might seem late, given HBM4 is expected to become the new normal around then, but it’s still a symbolic milestone for a country intent on ditching Western supply chains.

CXMT cranks out a decent chunk of DRAM, with production forecast to hit between 230,000 and 280,000 wafers per month. That’s a lot of silicon and, more importantly, enough to keep domestic AI vendors like Huawei and Cambricon fed while the government plays catch-up.

HBM prices are expected to rise by up to 10 per cent in 2025 as demand doubles, so local suppliers will be under pressure to deliver, regardless of performance gaps.

Meanwhile, CXMT is not sitting idle. It’s also producing DDR5 modules with claimed yield rates of around 80 per cent, and it’s eyeing a juicy IPO in the first quarter of 2026 to raise cash for the next stage.

Analysts reckon China’s memory industry is finally on the move. The country’s biggest barrier after chip production has been local HBM capability. With this latest move, CXMT is staking its claim and showing Beijing still plans to go full throttle on AI, even as it cuts back on imported tech stacks.

China’s bid for semiconductor self-sufficiency is still a few years off, but this marks a step away from dependency and toward a memory market that’s no longer completely dominated by foreign giants.