Flexible PCB prices have risen by 5-10% this quarter

With increasing demand for flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs) and rising raw material costs, Taiwan flexible PCB manufacturers have raised their prices by 5-10% so far this quarter, according to sources at the manufacturers.Flexible PCBs are widely used in electronic devices such as notebooks, mobile phones and DVD players. With escalating demand, especially for color mobile phones, some manufacturers in Japan and Taiwan had already raised prices by 10% in the fourth quarter 2003.The sources also indicated that suppliers of polyimide (PI) and flexible circuit coverlay (FCCL) – two of the main materials for flexible PCBs – are planning to raise prices by 3-5% late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter.Flexible PCB manufacturers have not ruled out the possibility of further price rises in the second quarter, the sources said.Source: DigiTimes