The electronics industry is now marching into its conventional peak season. According to supply chain news, calls for increased prices of products by Apple-related manufacturers, such as high-end PCB, any-layer HDI, FPBC, and high-end materials for upstream electronics, are expected this season, so that Fulltech Fiber, Zhen Ding, Flexium and others will benefit from it. 

               As the US-China trade war continues, the United States is scheduled to raise taxes on China’s products to be exported to the US by US$16 billion on August 23. It is expected to tax another US$200 billion with a tariff rate of 25% on Chinese imports, though these measures won't directly embrace the PCB supply chain. According to industry views, prices for certain new materials or high-order flexible boards, already in short supply, are likely to soar this season because it is the time that new consumer electronics products are launched, as well as the effect of the issue of taxation. Besides, since there is no high-order PCB production capacity in the European and American markets, the scenario is that this aggravation should psychologically prompt customers to anticipate more intensified needs and therefore, strive to grasp materials.

       Unimicron mentions that it is expected that the quoted prices from the trade should be increased as a whole due to the tight demand for high-end boards, indicating that there is an overall short supply in the market. Zhen Ding has pointed out that the price for some new materials are better, which should not be treated as a price increase. However, the prospect for new materials is considered to fare much better than that of the same period last year.

       The industry also mentions that customers are expected to be moving up shipments in July because of the trade war, mainly because there is no effective production capacity in the European and American markets. As a result, the supply for high-end boards is quite tight, while non-Apple-related products would also grasp materials in advance.