Circuit boards will become more expensive for the time being – and so will almost all electronic devices.
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The Iranian attacks on the Jubail petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia have severely affected the production of an important thermoplastic. As the Reuters news agency reports, the production of polyphenylene ether resin (PPE resin) has come to a standstill. The specialty plastic is used for printed circuit boards (PCBs), which can be found in almost all electronic devices, from smartphones and computers to AI servers.
This has led to a global shortage and sharply rising prices. According to the report, the cost of circuit boards increased by up to 40 percent in April alone. But these are not the only important products that have become more expensive: copper foil and other raw materials are now also significantly more expensive.
Another factor driving price developments in the technology industry is the high demand from the AI sector, which is also driving up prices. (tf)
