Memory Chip Prices Skyrocket in China's Spot Market, But Buyers Vanish
China's second hand semiconductor overall market is experiencing drastic increases in memory chip prices as a result of insistent global supply tightening. However, this price rally is facing a difficult condition with the vendors saying that the high price tags have led to a disappearance of buyers.
A Marketplace of High Prices, No Takers
an electronic components merchant at the Huaqiangbei wholesale hub in Shenzhen, the scenario is characterized by "high asking prices, but no buyers". He also mentioned that the mark-ups on memory products have become "totally outrageous", which was repelling customers rather than attracting them.
Huaqiangbei merchants began complaining about sharp increases in the price of memory chips toward the end of 2025. The most sought-after products included DDR5, which is the latest generation of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) used in PCs, smartphones, and servers.
DDR5 Prices Touch Extreme Levels
In China's spot market, the price of a single 256-gigabyte DDR5 server memory stick from Samsung Electronics or SK Hynix has reportedly risen to over 40,000 yuan (US$5,736). Some individual units have been priced as high as 49,999 yuan.
A report done by a Chinese source indicates that the associated cost of a standard shipping box of 100 such sticks would be around 5 million yuan. Industry insiders have therefore hooked the remark that a single shipment now "exceeds the value of many real estate properties in Shanghai."
