Huawei and Cambricon raise AI chip prices amid HBM shortage
Chinese AI chipmakers, including Huawei and Cambricon, are bumping up prices for their processors thanks to a worldwide shortage of high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
Some chips now cost 20% to 50% more, with Huawei's Ascend 950DT accelerator card indicated price lifted to above 250,000 yuan.
Cambricon's next-generation chip, tentatively called the 690, has been repriced 20% to 30% above levels it indicated two months ago.
US export curbs raise HBM costs
US export restrictions on advanced memory products since late 2024 have made the HBM shortage worse.
Chipmakers are now relying on expensive gray-market supplies, which has pushed production costs higher.
Older Huawei chips like the Ascend 950PR and 910C have also jumped in price, making it tougher for China's AI industry to keep up as access to NVIDIA chips stays limited.