April 20, 2026 /SemiMedia/ — United Microelectronics Corporation, a Taiwan-based chip foundry, is planning to raise wafer prices in the second half of 2026, as demand across several end markets continues to tighten capacity, according to a customer communication.

The company said demand from communications, industrial and consumer applications remains steady, with additional support coming from AI-related use cases. This has kept utilization rates high across its portfolio.

At the same time, UMC continues to invest in manufacturing and capacity to support customers, while facing higher costs for materials, energy and logistics.

The planned price adjustment will take into account factors such as product mix, capacity agreements and long-term partnerships, rather than applying a uniform increase.

Industry observers say the move reflects a gradual tightening in supply-demand balance for mature-node capacity, after a period of weaker conditions. Growing demand tied to AI applications is also adding pressure on available capacity.