Samsung Raises DRAM Prices Amid US Tariff Fears and Global Stockpiling Surge

Recent U.S. tariff measures have added significant uncertainty to global supply chains, prompting many companies to either boost production or stockpile key components in preparation for potential disruptions.

The semiconductor sector, particularly vulnerable to tariff effects, has responded by increasing purchases of memory chips during the current 90-day tariff pause. As a result, Samsung has reportedly raised prices on its DDR4 and DDR5 DRAM products in response to a surge in demand.

According to Korean media, Samsung has notified customers of the price increases, which vary by client but are estimated at approximately 20% for DDR4 and around 5% for DDR5. These price adjustments are not limited to Samsung—the entire DRAM market is seeing similar increases across the board.

Over the past year, DRAM prices had been in decline due to oversupply and weakened demand, with average selling prices falling nearly 21% in the second half of 2024. But the current stockpiling activity is reversing that trend, particularly among PC, smartphone, and server manufacturers eager to secure memory chips ahead of potential tariff-related constraints.

As the world’s largest memory chip supplier, Samsung’s pricing decisions often set the tone for the industry. A rebound in DRAM demand will be welcome news for the company, which has seen general-purpose DRAMs underperform compared to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) products, impacting a key revenue stream over the past year.