As demand for memory inventory increases in response to tariff risks, forecasts suggest that the prices of DRAM and NAND flash will rise in the second quarter of this year.
On the 17th, Taiwan market research firm TrendForce reported that the contract price of general-purpose (legacy) DRAM fell by 8 to 13% in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter, but expects it to rise by 3 to 8% in the second quarter.
In addition, the average price of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) products fell by 0 to 5% in the first quarter, but is projected to increase by 3 to 8% in the second quarter.
NAND contract prices also dropped by 15 to 20% in the first quarter, but are expected to rise by 3 to 8% in the second quarter.
As the United States decided to postpone the implementation of reciprocal tariffs for most areas for 90 days, memory buyers and suppliers are also adjusting their strategies to respond to policy uncertainty.
Due to the uncertainty surrounding tariff policy, memory buyers are proactively stockpiling memory, which has also expanded the anticipated price increase for contracts.
However, this surge in demand is likely to be short-lived, and TrendForce explained that demand sensitive to tariffs may be concentrated in the first half of the year, hindering subsequent seasonal trends.
Avery Wu, senior vice president of TrendForce Research, noted that 'the buyers and suppliers are rushing to complete transactions and deliveries within the tariff concession period to mitigate policy risks, so activity in the memory market is expected to recover significantly in the second quarter.'