CCL and Glass Cloth Set for 10-15% Rise From November

Copper-clad laminate is the input that decides what a printed circuit board costs, and it is going up again. Nan Ya Plastics told Taiwanese media on October 23 that the PCB materials market has shifted structurally, with supply shortages reshaping which products buyers can get. The supply chain expects fiberglass cloth and CCL prices to rise 10-15% starting in November, varying by specification and supplier, as manufacturers focus on higher-end products while demand for standard grades stays strong.

The upstream numbers explain it. Guojin Securities reported on October 9 that 7628-grade electronic cloth rose another 1.5 yuan per metre this month, G75 electronic yarn rose 3,000 yuan per tonne, and 2116 and 1080 thin cloth each rose 2.5 yuan per metre, driven by tight loom capacity and stronger-than-expected demand. Thin fiberglass cloth is the binding constraint: 1080-grade E-glass cloth has climbed roughly 300% from its low to its peak, and installing additional weaving looms takes too long to respond quickly. China Jushi's new capacity is expected to mainly produce thicker grades, so the shortage may only ease from the second half of 2027 into 2028.

Laminate makers have passed the cost through repeatedly. Kingboard Laminates has raised prices twelve times this year, including an October 13 notice of a 15% increase on laminate and prepreg using 2116 and thinner cloth. Panasonic has announced increases of up to 200% on selected CCL grades effective 2027. In cost-stack terms, copper foil accounts for roughly 40% of CCL cost, resin about 26% and glass fabric about 19%, so there is little room to absorb.

Demand gives suppliers the confidence to push. Prismark put 2025 global PCB output at US$85.15 billion, up 15.8%, with server and data-storage PCB at $15.68 billion, up 43.6%, and forecasts roughly $101.95 billion for 2026, up about 18.8%. The CCL market is forecast at about $24.2 billion for 2026, up 29.4%, with high-speed CCL around $9.5 billion, up 52.6%. Chinese reporting this week noted FR-4 laminate has risen more than 100% cumulatively this year as roughly 30% of global CCL capacity shifted to AI-grade products.

For buyers running 2 to 8 layer FR-4 boards, the practical response is procedural. Shorten quote validity from annual fixed pricing to 60-90 days, or index adjustments to published copper and laminate prices. Demand a material-level cost breakdown covering laminate grade, copper weight and panel utilization so genuine pass-through can be separated from margin expansion. Review array design and panel utilization, because wasted panel area is expensive in a repricing market. And start second-source laminate qualification now, since reliability approval typically takes six to ten weeks.

Where boards are being respun anyway, fold the laminate decision into a single PCB and assembly programme, and confirm which components on the BOM are available before committing panel capacity.