AI Demand Drives MLCC Prices to Double, Shenzhen Spot Market Sees Mixed Trading Activity
0xBroomberg
High-capacity MLCC spot prices at Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei have jumped 2–4× since Lunar New Year, driven by AI servers and EVs, but buyers are balking at the markup and actual transactions remain thin.
What are MLCCs, and why the sudden rush?
MLCCs — multilayer ceramic capacitors, tiny components that regulate current — are essential for keeping AI server processors running stable.
This means → the global AI compute buildout plus surging EV production have turned a commodity part into a supply-chain bottleneck.
Huaqiangbei's hottest item has shifted: last year it was memory chips; this year it is MLCCs.
How far have prices moved?
A Huaqiangbei distributor surnamed Wu, a major agent for Japan's Murata Manufacturing, says high-capacity MLCC spot prices have risen 2–4× since Lunar New Year.
Some models jumped from RMB 10 to RMB 40 per thousand pieces (about $5.90) — a peak gain of 300%.
The rally is not confined to high-capacity grades — spot quotes across the entire MLCC range have climbed. Wu says: "There is no sign of prices cooling."
Inquiries are hot — so why are deals cold?
Foot traffic at Huaqiangbei is heavy, yet buyers facing doubled-or-more prices are largely sitting on the sidelines; actual transaction volume stays weak.
In plain terms = sellers are quoting high, buyers refuse to pay, creating a classic "price without volume" stand-off.
This reflects a structural tension between tight supply and buyer price tolerance — whether spot prices hold depends on when downstream purchasers are forced to step in and restock.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.