PCB and IC substrate prices seen rising again in the second half as CCL and glass cloth supplies stay tight

Taiwan’s PCB supply chain is facing another round of price increases in the second half of the year as demand from AI servers and high-performance computing continues to strain supplies of key upstream materials. According to the ABMedia report, shortages in copper clad laminate (CCL), prepreg, low dielectric glass fiber cloth and T-Glass remain difficult to resolve in the near term, after price hikes of 5% to 30% had already hit parts of the sector in the first half. Some of that impact has started to show up in third-quarter financial results. The report said major PCB makers including Tripod Technology, Chin-Poon Industrial, Dynamic Holding and Unitech printed earlier price adjustments, while IC substrate makers Unimicron, Kinsus and Nan Ya Printed Circuit are also expected to benefit if rolling price increases continue through the third and fourth quarters. Industry estimates cited in the report point to a supply gap of more than 60% for second-generation low-DK glass cloth, with T-Glass shortages still widening. Market expectations mentioned in the article suggest CCL supply conditions may not materially ease until new capacity starts coming online in the first quarter of 2027.