Apple (AAPL) may defy a request by the Trump administration and buy memory chips from China, which it is already testing, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was cited by the Journal as saying the Trump administration opposed Apple's possible purchase of Chinese memory chips, the report said.

Apple has been testing memory chips made by China's CXMT and Yangtze Memory Technologies ahead of possibly using them for Apple devices sold in China, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Journal said Micron Technology (MU) has urged the administration to prevent Apple from using Chinese memory chips, while US lawmakers have also pressed Apple against the move.

Apple did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' request for comment.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)