The Automotive, IoT and AI applications brings the demand to MLCC, even though that the manufacturers are now building new factories to expands the production, but the demand are much beyond, secondly, the new factories are under construction and would not be completed until end of 2018.
As estimated by the MLCC manufacturers, the current gap between supply and demand is 10%~15%, it means that after the shortage storm in the 2nd half year of 2017, another price hike might come again in 2018 during the peak season in the 2nd half year of 2018.
