ST and TI Price Increases Simultaneously in April 2026: A Practical Response Strategy for Purchasing Managers
As a purchasing manager who has been working in the electronic components industry for more than a decade, I deal with suppliers such as ST and TI every day. Entering April 2026, the supply chain is once again subject to fluctuations: TI starts to adjust prices on April 1, and ST starts to adjust on April 26. The two giants made a move at the same time, which directly affected the cost of multiple BOMs in my hands. In the past two weeks, I have dealt with the price adjustment of more than a dozen projects. Today, I will share my actual experience and coping ideas, hoping to be of some help to my colleagues who are also struggling in the procurement front line.
What's the deal with this price increase between ST and TI?
Let's start with TI. From April 1st, they implemented price adjustments for core product lines such as analog ICs, power management ICs, digital isolators, and isolated drives. The increase ranges from 5–15% for mainstream products to up to 85% for some high gross margins or legacy parts. It is said that more than 60,000 parts are affected. Many industrial and automotive-grade applications rely heavily on these devices, and cost pressures come quickly and fiercely. New orders and shipments are immediately executed at the new price, with a short buffer time.
ST's move is a bit later, starting from April 26th, with selective price adjustments for multiple product lines — mainly involving MCUs, analog ICs, and power semiconductors (MOSFETs, IGBTs, etc.). They did not announce a uniform increase ratio, but implemented in batches based on product lines and cost pressures. The main reasons are the price increases of material suppliers, coupled with the shortage of wafer fabrication and OSAT capacity, and the additional requirements brought by automotive and industrial-grade certification.
From my point of view, TI has risen earlier, wider, and more aggressively this time; ST is more precise, focusing on the overlapping areas of power and MCU. The effective time difference between the two is only less than a month, and the window for buyers is actually very tight.
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What are the essential differences between ST and TI's price increase strategies?
The playing methods of these two companies are obviously different. Here is a simple comparison:
- Effective time: TI is April 1st, ST is April 26th. TI gives us a shorter response time.
- Increase characteristics: TI covers a wide range, and some part numbers increase by as much as 15%–85%; ST is selectively adjusted by product line, and the specific proportion will be communicated with customers later.
- Coverage focus: TI mainly targets analog, power management, and isolator series; ST focuses on MCUs, power devices, and other fields.
- Drivers: TI is more about protecting long-term gross margins and responding to rising costs and demand for mature processes; ST directly transmits pressure upstream of the supply chain (materials, capacity).
- Impact on procurement: The adjustment of TI has increased the cost of many legacy parts, and the pressure of BOM recalculation is high; the adjustment of ST may bring more considerations for switching design ends.
In essence, TI is more like a full-scale gross margin protection operation this time, while ST is a targeted cost transmission. The two are highly overlapping in applications such as automotive electronics, industrial control, and power management — which also gives us some room for negotiation and switching.
What are the practical effects of this price increase on procurement costs and supply chains?
The impact is very real. Take an industrial power project I have in hand as an example. One of TI's power management ICs has risen by about 30–60%, directly driving up the BOM cost of the whole machine by nearly 8%. The digital isolator series has been more affected, and some specifications have almost doubled.
The delivery cycle has also begun to tighten. Some popular part numbers of TI have shown signs of stocking, and ST's power devices are also facing OSAT capacity pressure. Inventory strategy has become the key: locking goods in advance can avoid price increases, but cash flow and warehousing costs will rise; unlocking goods may face the risk of supply outages.
For small and medium-sized purchasing teams, bargaining space is limited. Large customers may get some exemptions or delays through long-term agreements, but the ordinary distributor channel is basically at the new price. Overall, this is not an isolated price increase, but a signal that the semiconductor industry will shift from cyclical volatility to structural cost transmission in 2026.
As a purchasing manager, how should I respond to ST and TI's price increases?
This is the most crucial part. I have summed up my practical experience over the past few weeks into a few suggestions that can be implemented immediately:
1. Seize the April window period and stock up now
TI has already taken effect — confirm orders that can still be placed at the old price before April 25th. ST still has the last batch of buffers before April 26th; prioritize locking the Q3–Q4 demand of key part numbers. The action must be fast — the new price may come one day later.
2. Proactively negotiate for exemptions or phased implementation
Make annual purchases or future commitments, and talk to TI/ST sales or FAE. Use "two-source switching" as a bargaining chip — for example, some of TI's power ICs can consider functionally equivalent ST replacements, and vice versa. Bulk lock-in contracts often result in better terms.
3. Evaluate secondary sources and alternatives
Focus on sorting out ST and TI overlapping categories: op amps, power ICs, MCUs, MOSFETs, etc. Drive R&D and FAE to review pin-to-pin or functionally equivalent options. Distributor spot channels can quickly verify availability and price, avoiding single-vendor risk.
4. Adjust inventory strategy
Prepare 6–9 months of safety inventory for core part numbers; non-key part numbers can be gradually switched after a small price increase. Establish a BOM price increase simulation table, update the cost impact every week, and give early warning to the finance and project team in advance.
5. Intervene at the design level for long-term cost reduction
Don't just focus on the purchasing side. Pull R&D to evaluate downsizing or alternatives as soon as possible to prepare for new projects in the second half of 2026 and even 2027. At the same time, try to sign a long-term agreement with TI/ST for price lock-in or ladder pricing to reduce future volatility.
6. Establish a supplier price increase monitoring mechanism
Regularly follow up on notifications from major manufacturers such as TI, ST, NXP, Infineon, etc. Don't wait until the letter arrives. Distributor quotation systems and industry reports such as TrendForce are good sources of information.
One Last Tip
ST and TI adjusting prices at the same time is a reminder that procurement in 2026 is no longer a simple price comparison — it requires cross-supplier comparison, advance layout, and multi-party coordination. The price increase itself is not the most terrifying thing; what is terrifying is passive acceptance and lack of preparation.
If your project is also affected, please share the specific part number or application scenario in the comment area to discuss alternatives. If you need the latest ST or TI quotation, spot situation, or help sorting out the BOM, you can contact my team at any time — we will provide support ASAP.
The road to procurement is never easy, but every fluctuation is also an opportunity to optimize the supply chain. Hope these experiences can help you who are dealing with price increases.
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