Samsung, SK Hynix flag record supply squeeze in memory market as AI demand soars

SCMP Tech / 4/30/2026

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Key Points

  • Samsung and SK Hynix are warning that the memory chip market could face a prolonged supply squeeze as AI-driven demand keeps rising.
  • Samsung customers are reportedly already pre-booking memory capacity for 2027, signaling how aggressively buyers are securing future supply.
  • The crunch is framed as a record or unusually tight supply situation, highlighting strain across the memory supply chain.
  • The article suggests memory pricing and availability could remain constrained for an extended period, with AI-related compute needs acting as the key demand driver.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea’s two memory chip giants, are warning of a prolonged and severe global supply crunch, weeks after the two companies disclosed increased investments in their China wafer fabs to meet surging artificial intelligence demand. During Samsung’s first-quarter earnings call on Thursday, the company said its order fulfilment rate had plunged to a “record low”. In a rare move, customers worried about shortages were already pre-booking memory capacity for 2027,...

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