SEOUL, March 04 (AJP) - SK hynix more than doubled its U.S. sales in 2024, propelled by surging demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips from major American technology firms.
According to a company disclosure on Tuesday, SK hynix America posted sales of 33.49 trillion won ($24.5 billion) last year, marking a sharp increase from 12.54 trillion won in 2023.
Net profit for the U.S. unit reached 104.9 billion won. The United States accounted for 58 percent, or 27.31 trillion won, of SK hynix’s total global sales through the third quarter of 2024.
Industry analysts attribute this growth to the expansion of artificial intelligence and data center investments by U.S. technology companies.
“Unlike China, where demand is concentrated in mobile devices, the U.S. is home to major technology firms that purchase server products, particularly AI-focused memory,” an industry source said. “When demand for AI servers increases, U.S. sales follow suit.”
Looking ahead, SK hynix has already sold out its HBM chip allocation for 2025. The company plans to prioritize production of its fifth-generation HBM3E 12-layer chips this year while introducing a 16-layer version in the first half. It is also preparing for the full-scale supply of its next-generation HBM4 chips in the second half of the year.
During its latest earnings call, the company projected HBM sales to more than double in 2025, citing robust customer demand.
“We expect strong growth in HBM sales this year, with demand for ASIC-based HBM products also rising significantly,” a SK hynix official said.
ASIC, or application-specific integrated circuits, are increasingly being developed by global technology firms, including OpenAI and Broadcom, as they seek to reduce their reliance on Nvidia, the dominant player in AI chips.
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