China's Top Three LCD Makers Issue First Written Price Hike Notices; Taiwanese Panel Makers Accelerate Exit
nashnova research
CSOT, BOE, and HKC sent written price-increase notices to Samsung, LG, and Sony between September 14–16, marking the moment China's grip on global LCD pricing shifted from tacit coordination to open declaration.
Why is this price hike different from past ones?
Previously the three makers propped up prices by cutting utilization rates or quietly trimming output. This time they issued formal written notices directly to brand clients.
This means → China's panel makers have upgraded their pricing lever: from a hint to a letter.
In plain terms = before it was "produce less, let the price drift up." Now it is "here is our new price."
What did each company say — and what reasons did they give?
BOE cited rising upstream raw-material costs squeezing procurement budgets. New prices take effect in Q4 2026; existing contracts are honored.
CSOT pointed to "volatile international conditions and sustained raw-material inflation," raising prices on select panels from September, with exact increases negotiated per client.
HKC listed cost surges in driver ICs, PCBs (printed circuit boards), and glass substrates. It said internal efficiencies absorbed part of the pressure but a modest hike was still necessary.
This reflects a shared bottom line beneath different wording: cost pressure has grown too large to absorb internally.
Which panels are going up — will IT products be hit?
The primary target is LCD TV panels — television remains the biggest shipment market for Chinese panel makers.
IT panels (laptops, monitors) are expected to stay relatively stable and are not the focus of this round.
This means → consumers will most likely feel the change first in TV retail prices, not computer screens.
Demand is not that strong — so why raise prices now?
Industry sources note that panel demand has not been as robust as expected.
Part of the hike reflects genuine raw-material cost increases; the other part ties to a pre-National-Day production cut — reducing output clears inventory and flatters Q3 financials.
In plain terms = this is not purely a "demand outstrips supply" story. It is also "use the seasonal production-cut window to push prices higher."
Can Taiwanese panel makers follow the hike?
South Korea and Japan have already exited TFT-LCD (thin-film-transistor liquid crystal display). China now controls over 70% of global LCD TV and monitor panel shipments.
Taiwan's AUO and Innolux have accelerated factory sales and cut LCD investment in recent years, steadily shrinking their capacity.
This means → Taiwanese makers face a dilemma: match the hike and risk clients pivoting to China's larger capacity; hold prices and watch margins squeezed further by costs.
This reflects a structural shift in global LCD pricing power — whether Taiwanese makers can follow the increase is the key test of their bargaining position under the new order.
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