MLCC lead times have stretched from 4–8 weeks past 20 weeks, with Q3 2026 price increases of 8%–12%. AI servers and EVs are the two forces competing for capacity.
Passive components spent the last two years as the quiet category — until 2026. Distribution and market trackers now list MLCC as a supply risk: standard-product lead times have stretched from 4–8 weeks past 20 weeks, automotive and high-capacitance grades are rising faster than the market average, and third-quarter list prices moved up 8%–12% across major vendors.
Where the capacity went
- AI server power and decoupling demand absorbs high-capacitance MLCC and power inductor capacity;
- Per-vehicle MLCC content keeps climbing in EVs, and automotive lines prioritize long-term agreement customers;
- Vendors tilt capacity toward premium, high-value products; standard parts are available but hard to negotiate;
- The passive components market is forecast to grow from about $48 billion in 2026 to about $74 billion by 2033.
How to respond
Low unit prices and high volumes make passives the easiest part of a BOM review to overlook. Build a separate lead-time ledger for high-capacitance, automotive and small-size part numbers; order early or seek channel stock for anything beyond 16 weeks; price adjacent alternative specifications to keep substitution options open.
The Xinyuda Electronics supplier network covers MLCCs, inductors and resistors, helping customers complete shortage fills and excess-to-shortage swaps during price-up cycles.