Second-tier Taiwanese CD-R disc makers step up prices for 2Q

March 25, 2003

Currently fast DVD
media is hard to get and most retailers with large stock are the only ones who
can still supply customers with DVD media. Also DVD media fees to be paid on DVD
media in Europe are a reason DVD media demand is high. Also CD-R media prices
might be slightly higher, but likely not noticeable to consumers.

Second-tier CD-R disc makers in Taiwan said they have boosted CD-R disc quote prices for May
orders to match first-tier quotes at US$0.18-0.19, up from US$0.15-0.16 in
March. Sources said second-tier manufacturers Acer Media Technology, Nan
Ya Plastics and Princo had already raised prices to that level for orders
received at the CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany, which ended last week.

Surging demand in the seasonally weak second quarter has even
induced some first-tier CD-R disc makers to outsource their orders to
second-tier makers, sources said.

As most companies are switching to DVD media
manufacturing and demand of CD-R media is still high the market seems to be
pretty much in balance. More information can be found in this article on Digitimes.com.

Source: Digitimes.com