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According to the latest investigation by global market intelligence firm TrendForce, strong demand for AI chips has tightened the supply of high-end MLCCs and squeezed the availability of consumer-grade MLCCs. This dynamic has prompted some distributors to stockpile inventory preemptively, causing suppliers to respond with price adjustments. Recent price negotiations between ODMs and suppliers indicate that the average drop in overall MLCC prices has narrowed to its smallest margin in nearly three years, suggesting that the MLCC price cycle has reached a critical turning point and is poised for an upward turn.
Surging mobile DRAM contract prices in 2Q26 continue to place even greater cost pressure on smartphone brands, according to TrendForce’s latest memory market research. The two major Korean suppliers may have adopted different pricing strategies: Samsung Electronics is pursuing a more aggressive one-step pricing approach with sharper increases, while preliminary quotations from SK hynix indicate relatively milder hikes through a gradual price-raising strategy, with final pricing expected to be completed in late May. Overall, TrendForce estimates that the ASP of LPDDR4X solutions will jump by at least 70-75% QoQ for 2Q26, while the ASP of LPDDR5X solutions will see a QoQ surge of 78-83%.
The average 8-inch capacity utilization rate among the world’s top 10 foundries is projected to approach 90% in 2026, and remain above 80% through 1H27. Foundries are reallocating 8-inch and 12-inch mature-node capacity toward power-related processes to improve ASP and profitability, benefiting Chinese foundries through order spillover. TSMC’s planned reduction in 12-inch mature-node capacity may further drive order redistribution, creating opportunities for Tier 2 foundries to raise prices.
TrendForce’s latest findings on the AI industry highlight that several major North American CSPs have recently raised their 2026 capital expenditure (CapEx) guidance in response to strong AI demand. As a result, TrendForce has revised its forecast for the combined CapEx of the world’s top nine CSPs—Google, AWS, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, ByteDance, Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu—up to approximately US$830 billion in 2026, with the annual growth rate raised from 61% to 79%.
Global shipment volume of optical transceivers is projected to more than triple from 26.5 million units in 2023 to over 92 million units by 2026, according to TrendForce’s latest AI infrastructure research. This massive market opportunity—combined with geopolitical factors—is driving a restructuring of the global optical communications supply chain. It is also accelerating outsourcing strategies among U.S. vendors in Southeast Asia, creating an entry point for non-traditional technology players to move into AI optical communications.
