YMTC tops Micron and Kioxia in NAND chip shipments

Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) climbed to third place globally in NAND flash memory chip shipments during the second quarter of 2026, overtaking Micron Technology and Kioxia, according to Counterpoint Research data released on Aug. 13, 2026. The Chinese chipmaker now trails only South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in this segment.

YMTC's share reached 14%, Counterpoint reported. The company had briefly edged past Kioxia a year earlier, then slipped back in subsequent months, Counterpoint Research Director MS Hwang said.

NAND chips retain data when devices are powered off and account for roughly one-fourth of Micron's revenue. Faster and costlier DRAM memory chips make up about three-fourths.

Hwang said YMTC is projected to extend its lead further in 2027 and 2028. A 15% market share, he added, is the minimum threshold for a memory manufacturer to self-fund capital expenditures.

YMTC is preparing for an initial public offering in mainland China, following the blockbuster debut of DRAM-focused Chinese memory company CXMT in July 2026.

CXMT held 7% of the DRAM market in the second quarter, ranking fourth behind Micron, SK hynix and market leader Samsung, according to a separate Counterpoint report released in early August 2026.

Both DRAM and NAND memory chip markets reached record sales in the first quarter of 2026, at nearly $100 billion and $46 billion respectively, Counterpoint said.

Despite YMTC's shipment gains, the company still lagged behind Micron and Kioxia in NAND revenue. YMTC sells more chips for consumer applications than for data centers, a segment expected to consume half of all available NAND supply by the end of 2026.

To increase NAND production, SK hynix is resuming investment at a facility in Dalian, China, after a four-year pause, Korean media reported in the week of Aug. 13, 2026. SK hynix did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.