Samsung Electronics and other makers of liquid crystal displays used in monitors and televisions will face a glass and components shortage this year as suppliers fail to keep up with demand.
Technology industry researcher ISupply expects glass supply to fall short of demand by 3.7 per cent in the first quarter and by 10.2 per cent in the fourth.The shortage of LCD components will probably include colour filters, ISupply says.
It says suppliers, which are usually a quarter behind in adjusting production to changes in demand for LCD shipments, are limiting production increases because of oversupply in the industry last year.
South Korea's Samsung Electronics announced in January that global shipments of LCDs, measuring at least 10in diagonally, will probably rise 28 per cent to 168 million panels this year as consumers replace bulky glass-tube screens with slimmer ones.