01. AI Boom Drives Tantalum-Cap Surge
KEMET (Yageo) has hiked polymer tantalum prices 20–30 % twice this year; AI-server D/V/X/Y series lead demand. Tantalum metal hit US $90/lb, pushing AVX, Panasonic, and Chinese makers to follow. Spot AVX generics rose from US $0.33 to $0.40, and lead-times stretched to 16–20 weeks. Consumer demand is being displaced by local brands; industrial, automotive, and medical segments keep the market supported. Overall increases are moderate but ongoing.
02. Nvidia Eyes LPDDR Shift, Memory Prices May Double
Counterpoint warns Nvidia is considering LPDDR instead of DDR5 for AI servers to cut power, risking a new shortage. One server uses far more chips than a phone, and the supply chain is unprepared; prices could triple by the end of 2025. Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron have already cut standard-DRAM output, lifting DDR4 16 Gb spot quotes 13 % in a week. If Nvidia proceeds, the capacity squeeze will spread to mid/high-end segments, further inflating AI build costs.
03. Samsung Adds US$1.9 B to Austin Fab, Targets Apple CIS
Samsung will invest another US$1.9 B in its Austin, Texas, fab to expand CMOS-image-sensor capacity. The company is co-developing a 1/2.6-inch ultra-wide CIS for the 2026 iPhone 18 family, aiming to break Sony’s monopoly on Apple’s high-end sensors while deepening advanced-node ties with Tesla and other U.S. clients.
04. Netherlands Lifts Nexperia Curbs, Easing Chip Tensions
The Dutch government has ended special supervision of Nexperia, restoring full control to parent Wingtech. Economy Minister Karremans cited “constructive” talks with Beijing as a reason for revoking the Goods Availability Act order, calling it a goodwill gesture. Earlier Dutch restrictions had triggered Chinese export controls that disrupted Nexperia’s Guangdong test & assembly site and hurt Honda and VW inventories. After EU-U.S. mediation, China eased those curbs, and a Dutch delegation is back in Beijing this week to negotiate long-term supply-chain stability.
05. Chip Shortage Eases, Honda Restarts Mexico Plant
Honda will resume production at its Celaya, Mexico, plant on 20 November after a month-long shutdown caused by Nexperia supply cuts. The facility, with 200 k-unit annual capacity, is Honda’s main export hub to the U.S. U.S. plants remain on reduced output through 21 Nov and should normalize 24 Nov. Honda now expects the shortage to cut FY2025 operating profit by ¥150 bn, trimming North-American auto sales by 110 k units and lowering global volume target from 3.62 M to 3.34 M (−10 %).
06. Memory Quotes Soar, PC & Phone Costs Jump, ODMs Hit
Samsung’s reopened 32 GB DDR5 R-DIMM contract quotes have leapt from US $149 in September to almost US $239 in November, a 60 % spike. DRAM + NAND account for 15–20 % of PC BOM and 8–10 % of handset BOM; brands will pass the increase on, prompting analysts to cut 2026 shipment forecasts—PC growth flips from +4 % to a low-single-digit decline, phones from +1–3 % to flat/slightly down. Taiwan ODMs, whose revenue is >50 % servers, face limited direct impact; brand vendors bear the brunt.