Resin Price Hikes Begin, Leading to Sustained Inflation in Upstream PCB Materials

On April 3, Kingboard issued a notice stating that due to a sharp rise in chemical product prices and tight supply, the cost of copper-clad laminates (CCL) has increased dramatically. Effective immediately, Kingboard will uniformly increase the prices of its CCL sheets and PP (prepreg) by 10%.

We believe this price increase is primarily driven by rising resin costs resulting from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Affected by the situation in the Middle East, prices of chemical products such as epoxy resin, natural gas, and TBBA have surged amid tight supply. According to the Epoxy Review, taking East China as a benchmark, the ex-factory price (net of water) of liquid E-51 epoxy resin on April 3 closed at RMB 18,300–19,500 per ton, an increase of approximately 40% since the outbreak of the conflict.

Further price increases for FR-4 CCL are likely, with high industry concentration giving CCL manufacturers the upper hand. Expectations of tight supply for the three main raw materials—copper foil, resin, and fiberglass fabric—continue to strengthen. Copper prices are expected to remain high due to tight supply-demand balance. AI-grade specialty fabrics are taking up production capacity, and under supply constraints, the upward momentum for standard fabrics may persist. Earlier, fabric prices saw concentrated increases in early January, early February, early March, and late March.

The price increase of electronic-grade PPO is driven by rising costs, but more fundamentally by a supply-demand gap.

On the supply-demand front, total supply of electronic-grade PPO by the end of 2026 is expected to be around 6,000 tons. However, with the increase in shipments of M8-M9 grade CCL, industry demand is expected to rise to 7,000–8,000 tons, leading to a widening supply-demand gap by the end of the year. On the cost side, the average price of phenol, PPO's core raw material, rose 34.55% in March compared to February. PPO manufacturers have strong intentions to pass on cost increases.

Resin could be one of the decisive factors in pushing CCL to its limits.

On one hand, as copper foil and fiberglass fabric—two major raw materials—gradually approach their performance limits, resin, which relies on formulation rather than being a standalone component, becomes increasingly important for formulation optimization. On the other hand, the core know-how in CCL manufacturing lies in adjusting the resin formulation (including resin, silica powder, additives, etc.). The upgrade to M9-M10 requires CCL manufacturers to guide upstream suppliers on resin formulations. Therefore, as M10 upgrades and iterations become a clear future direction, the resin system will undoubtedly play a key role.

Focus on domestic computing power and breakthroughs in China-made CCL, highlighting resin leader Shengquan Group.

On the demand side, sales of domestic chips like the 950 may exceed market expectations, accelerating earnings releases in the second half of 2026 for PCBs, CCLs, and upstream materials in the domestic computing power supply chain. On the supply side, domestic CCL manufacturers such as Shengyi are not only breaking into the NV supply chain but also benefiting from the growth of domestic computing power. Shengquan Group, as a resin supplier to domestic CCL makers and the domestic computing power chain, stands to benefit significantly, with earnings potentially accelerating from the second half of 2026.

Resin price hikes begin, leading to sustained inflation in upstream PCB materials.

This round of price increases is essentially a visible transmission of cost pressures from upstream raw materials. We reiterate our positive outlook on core material segments (resin, fiberglass fabric, copper foil, additives). This round of price increases validates the strength of their fundamentals.

Supply constraints are the core driver: The main reason for the price hikes is "tight supply." Upstream chemical raw materials currently face structural constraints, including global geopolitical instability, stricter environmental inspections, the phase-out of old capacity, and restrictions on new capacity additions. The chemical industry's upcycle is just beginning. With inelastic supply, the sustainability of high prices may exceed market expectations.

Industry position and pricing power are increasing amid industry restructuring: In the chain of "basic chemical raw materials → electronic-grade materials (resin/additives) → CCL → PCB," the electronic-grade material segment features high technical barriers and long certification cycles. Upstream companies are currently enjoying the dual benefits of rigid demand (AI servers, AI hardware, etc.) and limited supply, significantly enhancing their bargaining power vis-à-vis midstream players.

CCL leader's price hike is a key validation signal: Kingboard, an industry leader with superior cost-control capabilities, sending a price hike notice sends two signals:

Upward price pressure from upstream validates the reality and intensity of cost-push inflation.

It provides a pricing anchor for the entire CCL industry, opening room for other manufacturers to raise prices.

----------------------------------------

Source: Research Highlights

Disclaimer: We respect originality and also value sharing; the copyright of text and images belongs to the original authors. The purpose of reprinting is to share more information, which does not represent the position of this account. If your rights are infringed, please contact us immediately for deletion. Thank you.