PCBs, memory chips, passive components... Major chip manufacturers are raising prices across the board!

Upstream PCBs:
Price increases driven by rising raw material costs

According to relevant reports from Cailian Press, the shortage and price hike wave triggered by the AI demand boom has spread to the upstream of the printed circuit board (PCB) industry chain. High-end raw materials such as copper clad laminates (CCL), electronic copper foil, and electronic cloth are in short supply, further supporting the price increases of products.

Xie Shuqin, Executive Director of Frost & Sullivan Greater China, stated, "Currently, the accelerated penetration of applications such as AI servers, high-speed communications, and automotive electronics has driven the rapid growth of demand for high-heat-resistance and high-reliability materials; on the other hand, the resin systems, glass fiber cloth, and copper foil used in high-grade CCL have complex matching requirements, and new entrants face slow yield improvement and long customer certification cycles, leading to slow release of effective production capacity. Coupled with the limited production capacity of upstream ultra-thin copper foil and high-end glass fiber cloth, a phased shortage pattern has formed."

Kinpan: Full Range of Product Prices Increased by 5% to 10%

On December 1, the leading copper-clad laminate manufacturer Kinpan issued a price adjustment notice, citing soaring raw material costs as the reason for raising prices across its entire line of copper-clad laminate products, effective immediately. The price increase ranges from 5% to 10%.

This price adjustment covers all thicknesses of the company's copper-clad laminate products. The specific adjustments are as follows: CEM-1, 22F, V0, and HB series: prices increased by 5%; FR-4 series: prices increased by 10%; PP (prepreg) series: prices increased by 10%.

Nanya: Full Range of CCL and PP Prices Increased by 8%.

In November, the Electronic Materials Division of Nanya Plastics Industrial Co., Ltd. issued the "November 2025 Copper-Clad Laminate (CCL) Cost Adjustment Notice," stating that due to collective price increases in upstream raw materials such as international LME copper prices, copper foil processing fees, and electronic-grade glass fabric, and to ensure long-term stable supply, it has been decided to uniformly increase the prices of all CCL products and PP (prepreg) by 8% effective from November 20 (based on the delivery date).

                                                Wafer Fabs: A Mixed Picture

In October, a survey by TrendForce showed that the capacity utilization rate of wafer foundry in the second half of 2025 was better than expected. Due to factors such as low inventory levels of IC manufacturers, the peak sales season of smartphones, and sustained strong AI demand, some wafer foundries even performed better in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter, which has triggered sporadic manufacturers to plan price increases for tight process platforms such as BCD and Power.

TSMC has issued a price hike notice to customers including Apple, stating that processes below 5nm will see price increases for the fourth consecutive year starting from 2026. In contrast, SMIC is worried that the price hike of memory chips will squeeze the profit of complete machines, and terminal manufacturers may force price cuts of other chips, thus triggering a price war for foundry services of mature processes.

TSMC: Price Increases for Four Consecutive Years

On November 2nd, according to a report by JW Insights, citing sources from the market supply chain, TSMC has rarely informed all its customers that it will increase prices for four consecutive years for four advanced technologies: 5nm, 4nm, 3nm, and 2nm. TSMC has declined to comment on this. Sources indicate that the price hike was announced in September 2025, is expected to take effect from 2026, and will continue for four years. The increase will be calculated on a compound basis, meaning it will be continuously added to the original price. While the specific increase is a trade secret, it is reported to likely be in double digits.

On November 11th, reports stated that industry insiders revealed TSMC has notified major customers including Apple that it will adjust wafer foundry prices for processes below 5nm starting from 2026, with an expected increase ranging from 8% to 10%. The price increase for 2nm is expected to reach around 50%, with the price of a single 2nm wafer soaring to as high as $30,000.

SMIC: Memory Price Hikes May Trigger a Price War Among Foundries

On November 14th, Dr. Zhao Haijun, Co-CEO of SMIC, stated during the earnings call that the negative impacts of the memory super cycle are mainly concentrated on the terminal side such as automotive and mobile phones, but the foundry industry will also be affected.

"No one dares to place large orders or arrange mass shipments in the first quarter of next year, and the core reason is the uncertainty about obtaining sufficient memory chips to support the production of products like mobile phones and automobiles next year.”

On the other hand, while memory chip prices are on the rise, prices of end products (e.g., mobile phones) are not expected to increase in tandem. To offset the cost pressure brought by memory chips, end-product manufacturers may demand price cuts for other (non-memory) chips, which could in turn trigger a price war among foundries.

Memory: Price Hikes Across Chip Makers, Module Suppliers, Domestically and Internationally

The AI-driven shortage in the memory market has triggered a sharp, across-the-board surge in prices for DRAM and NAND. According to TrendForce analyst Avril Xu, High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) consumes approximately three times the wafer capacity of standard DRAM. With overall production capacity constrained, the supply of DRAM and NAND from major manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron has been significantly squeezed. Compounding this situation, memory makers have been implementing production cuts since the beginning of 2025, leading to a noticeable acceleration in inventory depletion and a widening supply gap. Consequently, price increases have spread from HBM to the entire memory market.

Simultaneously, according to a report from Jiwei.com citing industry sources, memory manufacturers are now controlling shipments and continuing to drive prices higher. Module makers are also finding it difficult to procure wafers. As a result, module manufacturers are becoming more reluctant to sell their existing inventories. The extent of price hikes for finished products in the fourth quarter will largely depend on the increase in new wafer contract prices. Notably, memory module manufacturers in Taiwan, China, have halted price quotations for the first time in eight years, while mainland Chinese module makers generally anticipate further price increases.

Samsung: Sharp Increase in DDR Chip Prices

In late September, reports emerged that Samsung had recently notified key customers of price increases for both DRAM and NAND Flash in the fourth quarter. It was rumored that contract prices for LPDDR4X and LPDDR5/5X within the DRAM category could rise by 15% to 30%, while NAND products including eMMC and UFS would also see increases of 5% to 10%.

In early November, citing supply chain sources, it was reported that Samsung Electronics had taken the lead in suspending contract price quotations for October DDR5 DRAM, prompting other memory manufacturers like SK Hynix and Micron to follow suit. The resumption of price quotations was expected to be delayed until mid-November.

By mid-November, according to media reports citing informed sources, Samsung Electronics raised the prices of server chips by 30% to 60% this month, surpassing the levels seen in September. The contract price for Samsung's 32GB DDR5 memory chip modules jumped from $149 in September to $239 in November. The company also increased the prices of 16GB DDR5 and 128GB DDR5 chips by approximately 50%, reaching $135 and $1,194, respectively. Prices for 64GB DDR5 and 96GB DDR5 rose by over 30%. Another source familiar with Samsung's situation confirmed these price increases.

SK Hynix: Follows Suit in Suspending Price Quotations

In early November, supply chain sources indicated that SK Hynix had followed Samsung's move by also suspending contract price quotations for October DDR5 DRAM.

On November 5, SK Hynix stated that it had completed negotiations with NVIDIA regarding the pricing and volume for next year’s supply of HBM4. According to reports, the supply price for HBM4 will be more than 50% higher than that of HBM3E. The unit price of HBM4 supplied by SK Hynix to NVIDIA has been confirmed to be approximately $560 (about 800,000 Korean won). Previously, industry expectations for SK Hynix’s HBM4 unit price were around $500, but the actual delivered price exceeded expectations by over 10%, making it more than 50% higher than the currently supplied HBM3E (approximately $370).

Micron: Storage Product Prices Rise 20%-30%

On September 12, media reports indicated that following SanDisk's announcement the previous week to increase storage product prices by over 10%, Micron notified its distribution channels that storage product prices would soon rise by 20%-30%. Starting from September 12, all quotations for storage products, including DDR4, DDR5, LPDDR4, LPDDR5, were suspended. Prices for contractual customers were canceled, and all product quotations were temporarily halted for approximately one week. Reports suggest that the price adjustments affected not only consumer and industrial-grade storage products but also automotive electronics, which are expected to see increases of up to 70%.

In early November, supply chain sources reported that Micron had also followed Samsung's move by suspending contract price quotations for October DDR5 DRAM.

SanDisk: NAND Contract Prices Increased by 50%

On September 14th, media reports stated that following a 10% price hike across all product lines in April, NAND flash memory manufacturer SanDisk announced last week a universal 10% price increase for all channel distribution and consumer products. The company indicated that against the backdrop of growing storage demand in three areas—AI applications, data centers, client devices, and mobile devices—demand for NAND flash memory products remains strong. Going forward, the company will continue to conduct regular price reviews and may make further adjustments in the coming quarters.

On November 10th, according to a report by DigiTimes Asia, SanDisk has sharply raised its NAND flash memory contract prices for November by 50%. This move highlights the rapid tightening of supply in the storage market, driven both by the sustained growth in demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the severe shortage of wafer supply.

Puya Semiconductor: Prices of Some Products Have Risen Since Q3

On November 6th, Puya Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. stated that the current price increase of NOR Flash is mainly driven by the dual dynamics of supply and demand. On the demand side, with the rising popularity of various AI terminals, AI functions have led to a certain increase in both the average capacity and quantity of NOR Flash required. Additionally, as downstream inventories continue to improve, overall demand has maintained a recovery trend, boosted by the mild catalyst of the traditional peak season in the second half of the year.

On the supply side, amid the semiconductor industry upcycle, NOR Flash production capacity has been squeezed to a certain extent, resulting in tighter supply. Meanwhile, wafer foundries have raised prices for downstream design companies to ensure profitability. In summary, the supply-demand relationship is trending toward tightness, and the company has continued to pass on upstream price increases, leading the current round of price hikes.

Puya Semiconductor also noted that it is negotiating with downstream customers regarding price adjustments for NOR Flash memory chips in Q4. Prices of some products have improved compared with Q3, and there are signs of marginal recovery in overall industry demand.

GigaDevice: Q4 Prices Expected to Rise Further

On November 24, company executives stated during the third-quarter earnings conference that the niche DRAM market is experiencing a clear supply shortage. They preliminarily forecast that the price increase trend is likely to continue over the next two quarters and maintain relatively high levels in subsequent quarters next year. GigaDevice expects the niche DRAM market to remain in a tight supply environment over the next two years, with prices expected to rise further in the fourth quarter and maintain relatively favorable levels next year.

Macronix: Rumored 30% Price Hike in Q1 Next Year

On November 11, Taiwanese media reported that Macronix is capitalizing on the significant business opportunity brought by AI-driven memory upgrades. As the specifications of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) used in AI servers evolve from HBM3E to the higher-specification HBM4, Macronix, as a key supplier, is rumored to have raised its quotations for the first quarter of next year by 30%.

Macronix did not respond to market rumors. Its chairman emphasized that AI is indeed driving the memory market upward, and Macronix has recently observed rising demand and prices. Notably, NOR Flash is also widely used in servers and data centers. In addition to the current mainstream 512Mb products, there is emerging demand for higher capacities such as 1Gb to 2Gb.

Techwinsemi: Prices Expected to Keep Rising in Q4

Recently, during an institutional research interview, Techwinsemi stated that the rapid evolution and widespread application of technology driven by the AI wave have spurred an explosive growth in data storage demand, injecting long-term development momentum into the storage industry. It is expected that storage prices will maintain an upward trend in the fourth quarter.

BIWIN Storage: Prosperity to Persist

BIWIN Storage indicated in a recent institutional research session that storage prices are currently on a continuous rebound. Coupled with the stocking momentum of the traditional peak season and the robust demand for emerging applications such as AI glasses, the industry’s prosperity will persist from the current perspective.

Longsys: Demand Far Exceeds Expectations

On November 12, Longsys stated on an interactive platform that, as a leading comprehensive semiconductor brand storage enterprise in China, its operational indicators align with industry trends. Based on third-party information, cloud service providers have been placing large orders for high-capacity QLC SSDs, leading to customer demand far exceeding storage manufacturers' initial supply expectations. Currently, major storage manufacturers continue to maintain an upward trend in pricing.

Taiwanese Memory Module Manufacturers: First Price Quotation Suspension in Eight Years

On October 7, Taiwanese media reported that ADATA, the world's second-largest memory module manufacturer, and Team Group, Taiwan's second-largest memory module maker, simultaneously suspended price quotations. This move indicates that "market conditions are hotter than expected, and prices are likely to rise further." This marks the first time since 2017 that memory module manufacturers have suspended price quotations.

ADATA Chairman Chen Li-bai confirmed that the company's suspension of price quotations would continue until mid-October. The primary reason is a severe shortage of DRAM supply, necessitating inventory control and adjustments to allocation methods. Team Group stated that the suspension was due to the peak season for consumer electronics in Europe and the United States, coupled with limited supply from manufacturers and rapid inventory depletion, requiring flexible sales strategies.

Another Taiwanese memory module manufacturer, Transcend, suspended price quotations and shipments on November 7, expecting "market conditions to continue improving."

Passive Component Manufacturers: Inductors, MLCCs, and Tantalum Capacitors to See Price Hikes!

Several passive component manufacturers have recently joined the wave of price increases. Based on the published price adjustment notices, these can be categorized into two main types:

One category is driven by cost pressures from rising raw material prices, such as increases in silver and other metal materials like tin, copper, bismuth, and cobalt.

The other category is fueled by surging AI demand combined with rising raw material costs, leading to price hikes for related products like tantalum capacitors.

Yageo / KEMET: Second Price Increase This Year

In October, KEMET issued a price increase notice to customers for tantalum capacitors. The primary reasons cited were a significant surge in demand over the past three years for its polymer tantalum capacitor product line (KO-CAP) across multiple key market segments, combined with rising labor, material, and equipment costs. Consequently, the company will implement price adjustments for larger-sized products, specifically targeting the T520, T521, and T530 series, applicable to case sizes D, V, X, and Y, with voltage ratings ranging from 2.5V to 25V. According to supply chain sources, the price increase for these products is as high as 20% to 30%.

Earlier this year in April, KEMET had also issued a price adjustment notice. It stated that due to sustained high demand for its polymer tantalum capacitor product line (KO-CAP) over the previous three years and pressures from rising labor, material, and equipment costs, maintaining profitability for legacy models (particularly the B case size) had become challenging. As a result, KEMET increased prices for certain specifications within the polymer tantalum capacitor line, effective June 1. At that time, supply chain sources indicated the increase was in the double-digit percentage range.

Fenghua Advanced Technology: Price Increases for Inductor Bead, Varistor, and Other Product Lines

On November 24, media reports indicated that Fenghua Advanced Technology had issued a price adjustment notice to customers. The company stated that due to the current surge in silver prices, which have risen by approximately 50% since the beginning of the year, along with comprehensive price increases for other metal materials such as tin, copper, bismuth, and cobalt, cost pressures have necessitated price adjustments for certain products. Specifically:

Prices for inductor and bead products will increase by 5–25%.

Prices for varistor products with silver electrodes across all series will increase by 10–20%.

Prices for ceramic capacitor products with silver electrodes across all series will increase by 10–20%.

Prices for thick-film circuit products will increase by 15–30%.

On November 26, during an on-site visit by institutional investors, Fenghua Advanced Technology confirmed that in light of the continuous rise in raw material prices, the company has recently adjusted prices for certain products, including inductor beads and varistors.

Panasonic: Prices for Some Tantalum Capacitor Models Increased by 15–30%

On November 28, Taiwanese media reported that Japanese manufacturers have also joined the wave of price increases for tantalum capacitors. Panasonic issued a price adjustment notice to distributors and customers, raising prices for certain tantalum capacitor models by 15–30%. These adjustments cover 30–40 models of polymer tantalum capacitors and will take effect on February 1, 2026, aiming to offset the rising costs of materials, processes, and production equipment.

Agents further explained that due to the long-term low pricing of some products, which were close to being unprofitable, this adjustment will help bring the overall product portfolio back to a reasonable range. This improvement in pricing structure is seen as a positive signal.

Earlier this year in April, reports indicated that Panasonic had increased prices for its polymer tantalum capacitors due to rising raw material and production costs, with some part numbers seeing hikes of up to 25%.

Kyocera: Price Hikes Twice This Year

According to market sources, Kyocera AVX announced price increases for its general tantalum capacitors in June and September this year, both attributed to the rising cost of tantalum, a key raw material.

In terms of lead times, according to Future Electronics' 2025 Q4 Market Report, the lead times for polymer tantalum capacitors from several original manufacturers including AVX, Vishay, and Panasonic have shown signs of extension, with deliveries impacted by AI applications. A distributor added that the standard lead time for AVX's tantalum capacitors is 16 weeks, while the current lead time for general tantalum capacitors has reached 16-20 weeks, a slight extension compared to the standard lead time.

Tai-TECH: Multilayer Chip Inductors and Beads Prices Raised by Over 15%

On November 13th, Tseng Chih-ming, spokesperson for Tai-TECH, a passive component manufacturer in Taiwan, China, confirmed that due to the sharp rise in silver prices this year, the costs of multilayer chip beads and inductors have exceeded their selling prices, leading to a significant decline in profits. Therefore, starting from November, the company has raised the prices of beads for agents by more than 15%, and has also begun to reduce production and abandon the production of products with poor gross profit to minimize losses. According to Tai-TECH's statistics, multilayer chip beads and inductors currently account for about 18% of the company's total revenue.

Power semiconductors: Nexperia's stock is up, both domestic and international alternatives are rising.

Prices of power semiconductors have also shown an upward trend recently. The most notable is the sharp surge in prices of some models following the Nexperia incident; demand and prices for Nexperia replacement parts have also risen significantly. Additionally, in its price increase notice, CR Micro stated that rising upstream raw material costs have brought about cost pressures.

Nexperia: Transaction Prices Surged 10-Fold, Now Gradually StabilizingWhen the Nexperia incident first broke out in October, the spot chip market saw an increase in demand for Nexperia chips and the number of buyers/sellers. Demand reached tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of units, and some factory inventory lists were circulated for sale in various groups. In late October, market transaction prices also began to rise, with reports of actual transactions of chips at a 10-fold price increase. For these high-priced chips, overseas customers were the main buyers at the time, while major domestic clients focused on finding other domestic alternatives. Currently, the overall market sentiment for Nexperia chips is in a phase of gradual demand recovery after a period of wait-and-see. Overall demand is much lower than during the peak frenzy, but transactions still occur—mainly driven by foreign trade demand—with transaction prices having declined. However, some part numbers still maintain high prices, and market interest remains strong.

Different chip distributors have varying perceptions: Some traders report that demand remains sluggish, believing that only specific part numbers stand a chance in the current market; friends specializing in large trade clients mentioned that demand decreased last week; those with advantageous Nexperia supply sources noted significant transaction volumes in the past two weeks, with some even stating that demand last week was higher than the week before.

China Resources Microelectronics: Price Increases for Some IGBT Products

During an investor exchange at the end of October, China Resources Microelectronics confirmed that the company had "implemented price increases for some IGBT products." The company's management framed this move in a positive light, suggesting it indicates "the power semiconductor market has entered a new phase of stabilization and recovery." They cited two main drivers behind the price adjustments: first, to counteract the pressure from rising raw material costs such as copper; and second, due to strong order performance in related application areas.

Others: Multiple Brands Report Price Increase News

Following the Nexperia incident, some distributors stated that starting from mid-October, spot inventories of MOSFETs and diodes have become significantly tight, with lead times

for automotive-grade part numbers extending to over 12 weeks. They directly noted, “After Nexperia’s factories halted production, not only have lead times lengthened, but

price increases have begun for some models. Fearing further price hikes, downstream customers have rushed to stock up in advance.”

TE Connectivity: Price Adjustment Reported for All Regions Effective January Next Year

On December 4, TE Connectivity issued a price adjustment notice to global channel partners. The notice stated that TE will implement price adjustments across all regions, effective from January 5, 2026, and applicable to all TE-authorized distributors. Although TE continues to manage rising costs through capacity expansion, the current inflationary environment, including increased metal costs, necessitates this price adjustment.

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI): Price Adjustment Reported for February Next Year

Market sources indicate that global analog chip leader ADI also plans to raise prices. The company is expected to adjust its price range on February 1, 2026, to ensure a smooth transition.