Micron Exits China Server Chip Market Amid Trade Tensions; CEO Cashes Out $5.1M in Stock
Micron Technology's strategic retreat from China's server chip market marks a significant setback in the semiconductor trade war. The Idaho-based memory chip manufacturer will cease supplying data center products to Chinese clients following its failure to recover from Beijing's 2023 ban, though it maintains sales to automotive and mobile sectors.
CEO Sanjay Mehrotra liquidated $5.13 million worth of shares through prearranged trades in late October, executing sales at prices between $221.68 and $231.45 per share. The transactions occurred under a Rule 10b5-1 plan established months prior, coinciding with the company's announced market exit.
China's retaliatory ban against Micron emerged as direct countermeasure to U.S. restrictions on Chinese tech advancement. The geopolitical standoff has created irreversible fractures in semiconductor supply chains, with Micron becoming the first American chipmaker ensnared in the crossfire.