Chinese chipmaker CXMT sues Pentagon to get off US blacklist

Aug 28, 2026

Chinese chipmaker CXMT Corp. has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to challenge its inclusion on a military blacklist. The legal action comes amid stellar financial growth for the company, which recently debuted on the Shanghai stock exchange. Driven by global AI hardware demand, CXMT swung to a 77.6 billion yuan profit in the first half of 2026, with revenues surging nearly tenfold to 150.3 billion yuan, sparking a 580% stock rally.

CXMT Pentagon blacklist lawsuit

▪CXMT Corp. filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the US District Court for the District of Columbia seeking removal from a military supporter blacklist
▪CXMT Corp. asserted in its August 2026 lawsuit that it designs semiconductor chips exclusively for civilian and commercial use rather than military applications

AI-driven memory chip demand

▪Semiconductor companies, including ChangXin Memory Technologies, are experiencing surging revenues due to a global memory shortage driven by the artificial-intelligence boom
▪A global rush for artificial-intelligence hardware fueled a significant increase in sales for Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT Corp. during the first half of 2026

CXMT financial performance

▪CXMT Corp. posted a profit of 77.6 billion yuan for the first half of 2026, swinging to profitability from a net loss during the same period in 2025
▪CXMT Corp. reported a revenue of 150.3 billion yuan ($22.4 billion) for the first half of 2026, representing a nearly tenfold rise and more than double its total 2025 sales

CXMT Shanghai IPO debut

▪ChangXin Memory Technologies launched its initial public offering on the Shanghai stock exchange in July 2026, marking its first earnings period as a public company
▪The Shanghai stock market debut of ChangXin Memory Technologies instantly established the memory chipmaker as China's most valuable listed company

CXMT stock rally

▪Shares of CXMT Corp. have surged more than 580% since its initial public offering, remaining within 10% of their peak trading price as of August 2026
▪The stock rally of CXMT Corp. represents the most resilient onshore market debut in China for the third quarter of 2026