For organisations involved in the design, sourcing and manufacture of electronic products, the current supply chain environment remains a critical area of focus.
This update provides an overview of the factors influencing component availability, pricing and lead times, and our recommendations relating to what these developments may mean for upcoming projects across 2026 and 2027.
What Changes Are We Seeing?
We continue to see pricing adjustments and tightening supply across multiple areas of the electronics supply chain.
While some market alerts may overstate short-term risk, the underlying structural pressures are real and continuing to build. These pressures are not driven by a single issue, but by a combination of global factors that are reshaping how components and materials are sourced.
Understanding these drivers is essential for making informed, proactive decisions.
What’s Driving Current Market Conditions?
Geopolitical instability remains a key influence on supply chains globally. Ongoing uncertainty continues to affect trade policy, tariffs, and the movement of goods. At the same time, the shift towards regionalised manufacturing is changing how supply networks are structured.
These factors do not always have an immediate or visible impact, but they are reflected over time through pricing adjustments, availability constraints, and increased variability in lead times.
Alongside this, electronics manufacturing is becoming increasingly sensitive to energy pricing and raw material availability. Semiconductor production requires stable and significant energy input, and fluctuations in energy markets are now directly influencing production costs.
Material availability is also becoming more constrained. Key inputs, including industrial gases and specialist materials used in semiconductor production, are under pressure due to supply disruption and sustained demand. This is contributing to tighter allocation and ongoing upward pressure on pricing.
Memory and Semiconductor Supply
Board-level memory is currently one of the most constrained areas of the market.
Across DRAM and NAND, major manufacturers are effectively sold out through 2026, with limited visibility into 2027. Many customers are receiving only partial allocation of required volumes, and lead times are continuing to extend.
At the same time, demand is increasing across multiple sectors, particularly in AI infrastructure, automotive systems, and industrial applications. In many cases, long-term agreements are now required to secure supply, reducing flexibility across the wider market.
This indicates a structural imbalance between supply and demand rather than a short-term market fluctuation.
Component Pricing Snapshot
Across a wide range of semiconductor categories, we are currently seeing price increases typically in the region of 10% to 25%, with higher movement in the most constrained areas.
Recent examples include Texas Instruments, which has announced pricing adjustments effective from April 2026, and NXP, where increases have been reported across multiple product families. In memory, ongoing allocation pressure from major manufacturers such as Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung continues to place upward pressure on pricing and availability.
While the exact impact varies by part and manufacturer, the overall direction of travel remains clear: costs are rising, and supply is becoming less flexible.
PCB Materials and Upstream Supply
In addition to components, the PCB supply chain is also experiencing significant upstream pressure.
Materials such as glass fibre, resin, and copper are becoming increasingly constrained. Demand for higher-performance materials, driven in part by AI-related applications, is reducing the availability of standard grades.
Geopolitical instability is also affecting resin supply, while copper pricing remains elevated due to sustained global demand and increased processing costs.
These upstream pressures are feeding directly into PCB manufacturing, contributing to increased costs and extended lead times.
Market Signals and Short-Term Noise
Recent pricing announcements reflect broader market conditions.
At the same time, there has been an increase in urgent market alert messaging. While some of this reflects genuine movement within the market, it is important to recognise that not all urgency indicates a true shortage.
In some cases, these communications reflect short-term market activity or positioning within a volatile environment. A measured approach, supported by a clear understanding of underlying conditions, remains essential.
What This Means for Our Customers
In the current environment, we are seeing rising costs across components, materials, and logistics, alongside increasing variability in lead times and allocation.
It is important to recognise that pricing is not the only risk. In many cases, the greater impact comes from disruption to production caused by component shortages or extended lead times.
Our Recommendation
To maintain continuity and reduce the risk of disruption, we strongly encourage customers to adopt a forward-planning approach.
This includes reviewing upcoming builds earlier than usual, identifying components with potential supply risk, and securing critical parts ahead of demand peaks.
Proactive planning is proving to be the most effective way to manage exposure and maintain production schedules.
How We Can Support
We are working closely with our customers to navigate these conditions and minimise risk.
Our team can support you by reviewing your BOM to identify potential exposure, advising on sourcing strategies, and supporting forward planning.
Where appropriate, we can also procure and hold components on your behalf, helping to secure supply, manage pricing volatility, and maintain continuity across your projects.
If you would like to discuss your requirements, please get in touch. Your Account Manager will be happy to assist.
📞(0)118 931 0292
✉️ sales@active-pcb.com
🌐 www.active-pcb.com
Looking Ahead
The current supply chain environment reflects a combination of long-term structural changes rather than short-term disruption.
While conditions may fluctuate, the approach to managing risk remains consistent: maintain visibility, plan ahead, and reduce reliance on reactive sourcing.
By taking a proactive approach, manufacturers can better protect production continuity and avoid unnecessary cost and delay.
