Global Fiberglass Cloth Shortage Continues: Key Changes to Watch for PCB Order Delivery

Recently, the global electronics supply chain has been experiencing a persistent shortage of fiberglass cloth, a core raw material. This situation has directly impacted the stable supply of PCB laminates globally, consequently affecting PCB order delivery cycles and cost control for our customers. To help you understand the current industry situation and proactively mitigate supply chain risks, we are sharing the core impacts of this shortage, market changes, and corresponding response suggestions.

I. Longer Delivery Times for Core Materials Across the Board, Impacting Both High-End and Conventional Boards

The current fiberglass cloth shortage has comprehensively affected all types of PCB laminates. Whether it's high-end specialty boards or commonly used general-purpose boards, delivery times have been significantly extended, with the supply shortage far exceeding previous levels.

In the high-end board sector, advanced laminates with high glass transition temperatures (Tg) and low dielectric constants (Dk) are most severely affected. Among the mainstream high-end materials in the industry, such as Panasonic's Megtron 4 and Megtron 6 series, EMC's EM370 and EM827 series, and TUC's TU865 and TU933 series, the delivery cycle has now been extended to 140 days, more than double the usual delivery cycle, directly impacting the production and delivery of high-end PCB products.

The most widely used standard FR-4 material in the industry has also been affected. The usual delivery cycle for FR-4 materials from mainstream manufacturers such as Shengyi Technology and Nanya Plastics has been extended significantly to 4 weeks, with the supply of raw materials for general-purpose PCB orders also facing significant delays.

II. Global Capacity Saturation and Continued Upward Pressure on Prices

From a global capacity perspective, the current shortage has led to widespread capacity saturation across the industry. Major laminate manufacturing plants in Europe (especially the UK) and Asia (primarily Taiwan and South Korea) are operating at full capacity, with most factories having backlogs of orders extending 3-4 months into the future, and capacity flexibility virtually nonexistent. Currently, only a limited number of expedited delivery opportunities remain in the market, and the available quantity is continuously decreasing. Furthermore, each order must be rigorously evaluated on a case-by-case basis, making expedited service difficult for regular orders.

Due to multiple factors such as tight supply of raw materials, rising costs of basic raw materials, and continuous tightening of production capacity, the price increase of PCB boards has become an industry consensus. From the current market situation, the prices of high-end and advanced boards have shown a significant upward trend compared to the level in 2025. As of the end of March, the expected increase is within the range of 10% to 15%. It should be noted that the above price estimates are based on the current market conditions. The pace of price adjustments by upstream manufacturers, the cycle of cost transmission, and other factors will affect the actual implementation extent. Of course, the final price trend still has variables. Global terminal market demand, the subsequent fluctuations of raw material prices, geopolitical situations, and technological route evolution and other external factors will all have a direct impact on the price trend.

III. PCB Production Under Pressure, Delivery Management Becomes a Core Key to Orders

For PCB manufacturers, the industry has entered a unique phase of "coexistence of saturated production capacity and limited raw material supply." Currently, the production capacity of major manufacturers in the industry is basically saturated. Although they are still accepting market orders, the availability of fast delivery options is extremely limited due to the unstable supply of laminate raw materials.

At present, the guarantee of raw material supply and the management of delivery cycle directly affect whether PCB orders can be delivered on schedule. From the overall industry perspective, the tight situation of upstream materials is unlikely to be alleviated in the short term, and the delivery cycle is generally prolonged. However, at the same time, we are also fully coordinating the upstream supply chain resources and giving priority protection to the orders of cooperative customers. Nevertheless, in the context of the overall industry supply tightening, the delivery rhythm of some orders may still be affected to a certain extent.

IV. Core Recommendations for Risk Mitigation, Working Together to Ensure Stable Order Delivery

To minimize the impact of this raw material shortage on your product development and production schedule, we strongly recommend that our clients:

1. Develop Demand Plans in Advance and Reserve Sufficient Delivery Buffers: When formulating order requirements, fully consider the impact of extended raw material delivery cycles. Abandon the previous just-in-time procurement model and plan orders in advance to reserve sufficient buffer time for order delivery.

2. Make Forward-Looking Demand Forecasts and Secure Supply Resources: For medium- to long-term product production plans, synchronize demand forecasts with us in advance. We will assist you in securing upstream board material capacity and supply resources in advance, avoiding delivery delays caused by last-minute orders.

3. Flexibly Optimize Product Design and Broaden Material Options: During the product development and design phase, while meeting performance requirements, try to broaden the range of compatible board material brands and models to reduce reliance on a single scarce material and reduce supply risks from the design stage.

As your PCB partner, we will provide real-time updates on supply chain dynamics and offer comprehensive assistance to help you overcome industry challenges and ensure smooth order delivery.

For any order-related questions or needs, please contact our designated contact person immediately, and we will respond and resolve them as soon as possible.