[News] Samsung Electro-Mechanics Lifts MLCC Prices 30% Starting Aug. 1; Taiyo Yuden Reportedly Eyes Sept. 1 Hike

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has notified customers of a new round of MLCC price increases. According to TechNews, the price adjustment applies to all MLCC products under Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ Markup Business Code, with prices set to increase by 30% from current levels. The new pricing will apply to all shipments made on or after Aug. 1, 2026.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics said that global demand across the electronics industry has seen significant structural growth over the past several months. While the company has continued to invest in improving manufacturing efficiency and expanding production capacity to meet market demand, it said the pressure on the supply chain has exceeded what the company can absorb, as noted by TechNews.

Japan’s Taiyo Yuden, one of the world’s top three MLCC manufacturers, was also reported to be raising MLCC prices, with the increase expected to take effect on Sept. 1. The company also warned that it could not guarantee delivery schedules, the report adds. The Elec notes that Taiyo Yuden had already requested a price adjustment from customers last month.

Chosun Ilbo notes that MLCCs are electronic components that store and supply electricity while stabilizing voltage. Although traditionally used in smartphones and PCs, demand has recently expanded to AI servers. AI accelerators consume large amounts of power in short periods, creating significant power fluctuations and heat. As a result, they require large numbers of small, high-capacity, heat-resistant MLCCs around the power supply.

As big tech companies such as Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and NVIDIA ramp up AI semiconductor development, orders for high-capacity AI server MLCCs are becoming increasingly concentrated, Chosun Ilbo adds.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has also secured sizable AI server MLCC orders. Chosun Biz notes that the company signed supply contracts worth KRW 453.99 billion and KRW 295.12 billion with global customers last June and this month, respectively.

AI Demand Drives MLCC Market Momentum

According to TrendForce, by late June 2026, the book-to-bill (BB) ratios of the three leading Japanese and Korean suppliers—Murata, Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO), and Taiyo Yuden—had risen to 1.30, 1.31, and 1.25, respectively, marking their highest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic. The MLCC industry’s overall BB ratio also climbed to 1.04.

TrendForce notes that robust AI demand drove June 2026 shipments from the top three Japanese and Korean suppliers—Murata, Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO), and Taiyo Yuden—to a five-year monthly high. Single-month shipments reached 140 billion pieces for Murata, 98 billion pieces for SEMCO, and 40 billion pieces for Taiyo Yuden, with the growth momentum continuing into July.

Meanwhile, TrendForce also notes that Japanese and Korean suppliers are accelerating the shift of MLCC capacity from consumer-grade X5R to higher-end X6S and X7R products for AI applications, tightening supply of mid- to high-capacitance consumer-grade MLCCs. The resulting spillover demand is benefiting suppliers in Taiwan and China, driving up quoted prices.

Read more

• AI Demand Pushes Japanese and Korean MLCC Suppliers to Record Monthly Shipments; Consumer-Grade Order Spillovers Continue to Surge, Says TrendForce
• AI Demand for High-End MLCCs Drives Japan and Korea Suppliers’ Book-to-Bill Ratios to Post-Pandemic Highs, Raising Shortage Risks in 2H26, Says TrendForce

(Photo credit: Samsung Electro-Mechanics)