China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) is gaining ground in the global NAND memory market, reaching third place by shipments in the second quarter, according to Counterpoint Research.
YMTC captured 14% of global NAND shipments, putting it behind South Korea’s Samsung and SK hynix but ahead of U.S. chipmaker Micron and Japan’s Kioxia.
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YMTC Strengthens Its Position
NAND memory retains data when devices are powered off and is widely used in smartphones, computers and storage products. Demand is rising as the need for data storage grows, although NAND is generally slower and less expensive than DRAM.
Counterpoint Research Director MS Hwang expects YMTC to extend its lead over Kioxia in 2027 and 2028. He also said manufacturers need roughly 15% market share to generate enough cash to fund future capital investment.
YMTC had briefly overtaken Kioxia a year ago before falling behind again. Its return to third place therefore marks an important shift in the competitive landscape.
China’s Memory Sector Expands
YMTC is preparing for a potential listing in mainland China, following the successful debut of Chinese DRAM maker CXMT in July.
CXMT held 7% of the global DRAM market in the second quarter, placing fourth behind Samsung, SK hynix and Micron, according to Counterpoint’s DRAM report.
Despite its shipment gains, YMTC still trails Micron and Kioxia in NAND revenue because its business remains more focused on consumer products than data centers. Counterpoint expects data centers to account for around half of NAND demand by the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, SK hynix is reportedly preparing to resume investment at its Dalian facility in China after a four-year pause, potentially boosting production capacity.
