If you purchase PCBs you will have seen market prices and lead-times increasing. These issues in PCB supply are being driven by industry wide raw material shortages and a shift in global demand towards AI infrastructure, rather than discretionary margin increases by PCB manufacturers.
The explosion in the demand for AI data centres and the associated infrastructure has resulted in an unpresented requirement for high end, high-value AI server platforms and associated PCBs.
Many of the same raw materials used to manufacture standard industrial PCBs are now being diverted to these high-value AI server platforms. This has reduced material availability across the wider PCB market and increased replacement costs throughout the supply chain.
As demand for AI infrastructure continues to grow, material availability is expected to remain constrained. This is likely to result in continued cost inflation across the PCB industry through the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
| Indicator | Concrete figure | Meaning for traditional PCB buyers |
|---|---|---|
| AI server PCB market CAGR | 32.14% CAGR, 2025-2032 | Approx. 6.7x faster than overall PCB market CAGR of 4.83%. |
| AI vs traditional PCB selling value | Approx. 4x-10x higher | AI / high-end boards command much higher selling value because of layer count, materials and signal requirements. |
| Raw material pressure | Copper foil +30%; resin lead time 3 to 15 weeks | Input costs and material availability are forcing PCB pricing adjustments. |
From the above you can see that the CAGR for AI Server PCBs systems if almost seven times that of standard industrial PCBs. That demand is not only causing raw material availability issues it is also driving PCB manufacturing to allocate materials and manufacturing resources to these high-end, complex and ultimately high value PCBs.
The entire PCB supply chain is experiencing sustained cost escalation across copper clad laminate (CCL), prepreg (PP), electronic glass fibre cloth, copper foil, epoxy resin systems, and high-speed / low-loss laminate materials.
Industry-wide evidence shows that leading laminate suppliers have all implemented price increases during 2025 and 2026. This confirms the issue is affecting the wider global PCB supply rather than any individual PCB supplier.
The AI servers consume significantly more and higher-grade PCB material than traditional industrial electronics. As AI demand grows, suppliers are commercially incentivised to reserve scarce high-end materials and capacity for AI programmes, tightening supply availability for traditional PCB customers.
Based on current published market information, the pressure is likely to continue through the remainder of 2026 and may extend through 2027 because demand growth is faster than the time required to build, qualify and stabilise new raw material capacity.
During 2025, the PCB industry entered a new demand cycle driven by AI server deployment, data centre expansion, high-performance computing, networking infrastructure upgrades and advanced electronic systems. These applications consume more PCB material per unit than traditional industrial and consumer applications.
The first visible signs appeared at the laminate level when major CCL suppliers began increasing prices during 2025. Although some early increases during that period were small the frequency increased towards the end of 2025, signalling a shift from normal price movement to an emerging up-cycle.
At this stage, many PCB manufacturers attempted to absorb part of the cost pressure or delay full pass-through to customers. However, the pricing environment changed materially in 2026 as shortages appeared across several upstream inputs simultaneously.
During 2026 the market moved from cost inflation into physical allocation and shortage. PCB prices had already been climbing since late 2025, but the acceleration from March and April 2026 reflected a rush by manufacturers to secure raw materials.
Reuters reported that PCB prices surged by as much as 40% in April 2026 from March, while manufacturers warned of higher costs for resin, copper and other materials. The same report noted that epoxy resin lead times increased from around 3 weeks to around 15 weeks and that copper foil prices had surged by as much as 30% so far in 2026.
Electronic glass fibre cloth is one of the most important ingredients used in FR-4 laminate and prepreg production. Industry analysis indicates that Japan and Taiwan have been reallocating capacity towards low-CTE and low-Dk yarns required for AI servers, advanced packaging and high-performance computing. This conversion reduces effective output of standard E-glass used in mainstream PCB production, while Chinese E-glass capacity has also tightened because laminators are seeking replacement supply.
Copper foil is one of the largest cost contributors within PCB materials. Reuters reported that copper accounts for around 60% of total PCB raw material cost according to Victory Giant, and that copper foil prices had risen by as much as 30% so far in 2026. High-performance copper foil grades are being prioritised for AI and advanced computing applications, while heavy copper and speciality foil grades are increasingly difficult to source.
Epoxy resin systems, curing agents and speciality chemical materials have become additional bottlenecks. Reuters reported resin lead times extending from approximately three weeks to around fifteen weeks. Even if laminate press capacity exists, resin constraints can limit actual output and raise inventory and working-capital requirements.
AI servers require higher layer counts, tighter tolerances, premium dielectric materials and advanced signal-performance characteristics. These requirements absorb glass fibre cloth, copper foil, prepreg, premium CCL, low-loss resin systems and advanced manufacturing capacity.
Suppliers are expanding output, but the relief is delayed by construction, equipment delivery, customer qualification and production ramp-up. TrendForce reported that one major manufacturer plans a new CCL production facility in Thailand, with mass production targeted for the second half of 2028. This timing illustrates why shortages can continue even when capacity expansion has been announced.
The issue is not limited to a single PCB supplier or a single laminate supplier. Published market information shows repeated pricing actions by multiple leading material suppliers across China, Taiwan and Japan.
As detailed above the AI server PCB market is forecast to grow at 32.14% CAGR during 2025-2032, while the overall PCB market is forecast at only 4.83% CAGR during 2026-2031. This means AI server PCB demand is growing roughly 6.7 times faster than the overall PCB market. It monetary terms:
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide AI server PCB market | US$12.65bn | US$16.50bn | US$22.24bn | US$67.84bn by 2032; 32.14% CAGR |
| Overall PCB market | US$95.78bn | US$100.64bn | Not stated in cited source | US$127.41bn by 2031; 4.83% CAGR |
The difference in selling value between traditional or general PCBs and AI server PCBs is substantial. This provides strong economic pressure for material suppliers and PCB manufacturers to prioritise AI-related production where possible.
AI server PCBs are not simply more expensive PCBs; they require more layers, higher reliability, advanced HDI processes and high-performance materials. In 2025, 18-28 layer AI server PCBs represented 59.71% of worldwide AI server PCB revenue, while above-28-layer boards represented 30.40%. This means over 90% of AI server PCB revenue was concentrated in high-layer or very-high-layer products.
GPU accelerator module boards represented 65.43% of AI server PCB market revenue in 2025, further confirming that the market is concentrated in highly complex designs requiring advanced materials and process control.
PCB price increases are directly linked to material replacement cost. Published material cost indicators show that copper foil, resin and glass fibre cloth form the majority of CCL cost, while copper exposure is a major cost driver in PCB production.
Several indicators support the view that material cost pressure may continue into 2027.
The repeated PCB price increases observed during 2025-2026 are not primarily driven by PCB manufacturers. They result from unprecedented inflation and supply shortages across the global PCB materials chain, particularly electronic glass fibre cloth, copper foil, epoxy resin systems, CCL and prepreg.
Quantitative evidence shows why the pressure is intense: AI server PCB demand is growing roughly 6.7 times faster than the overall PCB market; AI / high-end PCB value can be around 4-10 times higher than more traditional PCB comparisons; and public sources describe AI PCB gross-margin potential of approximately 30%-50%. These economics explain why scarce upstream capacity is increasingly directed towards AI server programmes.
Traditional PCB customers are therefore affected by higher raw material replacement costs, allocation controls, longer lead times and repeated price adjustments even when their own products are not AI-related. Future PCB pricing adjustments should be viewed as necessary responses to ongoing raw material cost changes rather than discretionary actions by PCB manufacturers.
Cost pressures and extended lead times are expected to continue until one or more of the following occurs:
Daleba does not have a magic solution. We do have the experience, supplier network and technical expertise to help you reduce risk and secure continuity of supply.
Date : 16-07-2026
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