March 28, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — SK Hynix said some customers have placed early orders in anticipation of potential US semiconductor tariffs, aiming to mitigate cost increases.

Sang-Yup Lee, executive vice president of global sales and marketing at SK Hynix, noted at the company’s annual shareholders' meeting that a combination of reduced inventories and a "pull-in" effect has improved recent market conditions. However, he cautioned that it remains uncertain whether this trend will persist.

Meanwhile, surging demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) continues to be a major growth driver. President Noh Jong-wook stated that HBM demand in 2024 is expected to see “explosive growth,” fueled by increased investments in data centers. He added that SK Hynix’s 2025 HBM capacity is already fully booked, and the company aims to finalize 2026 capacity sales agreements in the first half of 2024 to secure revenue stability.

The storage chip market is also seeing price increases. Major manufacturers, including Micron, SanDisk, and Yangtze Memory Technologies, have recently raised memory chip prices, partly due to strong AI-driven demand.

US semiconductor tariff uncertainty is adding to market volatility. Former US President Donald Trump said in February that he intends to impose a 25% tariff on semiconductors and other imported goods. Nomura Securities reported this week that concerns over potential US tariffs in April have led to an early transfer of semiconductor inventories into the US. The firm warned that if tariffs take effect, they could drive up end-product prices and dampen demand.