FR4 shortage ?

[mikeselectricstuff]

Assembly subcontractor just told me their PCB supplier was unable to get a quote from their normal China sources for 1.5m long PCBs due to FR4 shortages.
I also had a note from my normal PCB place a few weeks ago that prices would increase due to increasing FR4 pricing.
Anyone know more ?

[thm_w]

In case you didn't know, all PCB materials have datasheets much like the components that go on to the PCB. If you never bothered to get the laminate datasheet before, best you get into that habit immediately. With the copper laminate shortage in China, don't be surprised if your current PCB factory substitutes the laminate with cheaper yet more available derivatives. For repeatability and a reliable PCB product, it is best that you specify the exact laminate in your instructions to your PCB supplier.

http://www.dataweek.co.za/8873a He didnt go into any more detail

Older post predicting copper foil supply is going into lithium cell production, and costs increasing until may:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/status-lacks-copper-pcb-raw-material-nancy-zhou
http://www.madpcb.com/show-203.html

PCB Prices Rising Expected to Last for 12-18 months at Least
1. In this shortage period, some companies are turning to Lithium battery copper foil, and the PCB copper foil has more price increasing space.

2. It takes about 12-18months for upstream copper foil companies to expand productivity. The PCB prices rising trend will be till May or June in 2017.

3. Some manufacturers think they will not rashly expand copper foil productivity. If want, they only consider of the copper foil for Lithium battery. The copper foil manufacturing in Lithium battery is easier than that in CCL, and the profit is higher than that in CCL, about more USD2,300-USD3,000/ton. So, many company turn to manufacture copper foil in Lithium battery.

4. It shows that the PCB board demand is increasing under the circumstance of shortage supply, which can not solved in short term. The PCB industrial output value fell 3.7% year-on-year in 2015 because of the PC, smart phone and other product slowing growth in main electronics industry, inventory adjustment and other factors in last year. But driven by the new demand like intelligent vehicles, it’s said that the PCB industry restorative growth will be coming, and the CAGR is around 2.3%.