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Seoul, July 26, 2026 – In a landmark move that underscores the intensifying race for artificial intelligence infrastructure, South Korea’s two chipmaking giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have announced supply agreements worth a combined $950 billion with major U.S. technology firms.
The deals, unveiled at the San Francisco AI Summit on July 24, 2026, are set to reshape the global semiconductor landscape and secure critical resources for the next decade.
Samsung signed a memorandum of understanding with Broadcom valued at $200 billion.
The agreement covers the supply of high bandwidth memory (HBM4) chips and advanced 2-nanometer foundry services, bundled with packaging solutions.
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This turnkey arrangement is designed to anchor Broadcom’s next generation AI accelerator roadmap, ensuring the company has guaranteed access to cutting edge components amid soaring demand.
Meanwhile, SK Hynix finalized a $750 billion pact with Nvidia and other U.S. firms.
Structured as forward purchase contracts, the deal guarantees long-term supply of HBM chips through 2030.
For Nvidia, the world’s leading AI chip designer, the agreement secures a critical lifeline of memory capacity at a time when global inventories are stretched thin.
The announcements were framed within a broader $950 billion AI cooperation package unveiled by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
The initiative, dubbed the “San Francisco AI Declaration,” emphasizes collaboration with U.S. firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Broadcom.
It positions South Korea as a linchpin in the global AI supply chain, counterbalancing Taiwan’s dominance through TSMC.
The economic implications are profound. With HBM capacity effectively sold out through 2026, these agreements lock in scarce resources for U.S. partners, leaving competitors facing potential shortages until at least 2027.
For Samsung and SK Hynix, the forward purchase contracts provide capital certainty to justify multi billion dollar fab expansions, reinforcing their global leadership in memory and foundry services.
Yet challenges remain. Samsung’s 2nm process continues to face yield uncertainties, raising questions about its ability to deliver at scale.
Labor tensions also linger, with Samsung narrowly avoiding a strike earlier this year.
Analysts warn that any disruption could ripple across the AI ecosystem, given the scale of these commitments.
Still, the deals mark a historic consolidation of supply chains.
By binding U.S. tech giants to South Korean chipmakers for the rest of the decade, the agreements not only secure scarce HBM capacity but also signal a strategic pivot in semiconductor geopolitics.
South Korea is positioning itself as indispensable to the AI revolution, ensuring that the next wave of innovation will be built on chips forged in its fabs.
At nearly a trillion dollars in combined value, the Samsung and SK Hynix agreements are more than corporate contracts they are a declaration of intent.
In the race to power artificial intelligence, South Korea has staked its claim as the indispensable partner for America’s tech future.
