Global semiconductor industry launches a new wave of price hikes, with mature processes, simulations, and MCUs all raising their prices

In the second half of 2026, the global semiconductor industry will usher in a new round of large-scale price increases. With the continuous explosion of demand for AI computing power, a large amount of mature process capacity has been seized by AI orders, driving up the prices of various chip products and tightening the supply and demand pattern in the industry.

This round of price increases covers a wide range of product categories, and domestic and foreign manufacturers have implemented intensive price adjustments. Domestically, RF leader Zhuoshengwei has raised the prices of its entire range of RF products starting from September 1st, with a price increase of 10% -20% for National Technology MCU products. International giants have followed suit, with STMicroelectronics completing its third price adjustment this year. ADI also implemented a second round of price increases for analog chips in September, and categories such as power devices, power management chips, and storage pellets have also seen price increases.

The core reason for this round of price increases is structural capacity mismatch. Currently, wafer fabs are prioritizing the transfer of mature 8-inch and 12 inch process capacity to AI related orders, significantly squeezing the chip production capacity supply for industrial electronics and automotive electronics. Affected by this, downstream industrial power supply, energy storage BMS, automotive lighting and other enterprises are generally facing pressure of extended supply lead times and rising production costs.

Industry institutions predict that this round of price increases will continue until the first half of 2027. In response to the long-term tight supply situation in the industry, downstream enterprises need to stock up in advance and ensure stable production; On the other hand, it is accelerating the introduction of domestic chip replacement solutions, optimizing the supply chain system, effectively hedging the risks of price increases and supply disruptions, and bringing broad replacement opportunities for domestic semiconductor enterprises.