Japan Quakes Shut Down Key Plants, Spur Lithium Niobate Price Surge

Published: Dec 19, 2025 18:00

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[SMM Niobium Flash News] Recent earthquakes in Japan have led to the complete shutdown of Shin-Etsu Chemical's Koriyama and Shirakawa plants. These two plants account for approximately 30% of the global lithium niobate and lithium tantalate production capacity, cutting off at least 50% of the global supply of high-end optical-grade and RF-grade lithium niobate crystals. As a result, the imbalance between supply and demand in the lithium niobate market has intensified, and prices are facing upward pressure. In particular, driven by the demand for 1.6T optical modules, the market gap has further widened.

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