Electronics Lead Time Pulse — July 2026Updated August 5, 2026 · Curated by Sannah Vinding

The market keeps splitting: memory and discretes critical, the broad middle tightens, lighting never moves.

Seven months of lead-time data tells a consistent story: pressure keeps building around memory, power discretes, certain capacitors, programmable logic, and thermal management, while many broader categories remain relatively stable. That does not mean the whole market is tight — it means the risk is specific, and it has been building in the same places since the start of the year.

1 · Stable2 · Watch3 · Alert4 · CriticalHow scoring works

Memory

4 · Critical
26–52+ wkslead time
Pulse Index

Critical every month this year. Allocation and 26 to 52+ week ranges never eased.

AI demand pullSupplier allocationKorea concentration
  • DRAM4 · Critical30–52+ wks
  • eMMC / SSD4 · Critical26–52 wks

Discretes

4 · Critical
20–52 wkslead time
Pulse Index

Watch in January, critical by March, held critical through July.

Single-supplier eventChina export controlsBackend capacity (MY/PH)
  • MOSFETs4 · Critical27–52 wks
  • IGBTs3 · Alert27–32 wks

Analog & Power Management

3 · Alert
16–40 wkslead time
Pulse Index

Watch most of the year, climbed into alert in June and held.

AI demand pullTaiwan concentration

Embedded Processing / High End

3 · Alert
19–52 wkslead time
Pulse Index

MCU and FPGA watch became alert in May, held into July.

AI demand pullTaiwan concentrationTariff pass-through
  • FPGAs / PLDs3 · Alert19–52 wks

Passives

3 · Alert
12–40 wkslead time
Pulse Index

Specialty side moved from watch to alert in May, stayed there.

AI demand pullJapan concentration
  • MLCCs3 · Alert16–40 wks
  • Tantalum capacitors3 · Alert20–40 wks

Circuit Protection

2 · Watch
11–18 wkslead time
Pulse Index

Stable through May, tipped to watch in June on upward indicators.

Metals cost

Interconnect

2 · Watch
9–21 wkslead time
Pulse Index

Watch since March. Lead times steady, pricing the pressure.

Metals costTariff pass-throughRed Sea logistics

Electromechanical

3 · Alert
12–30 wkslead time
Pulse Index

Watch since March; selective tightening pushed it to alert in July.

AI demand pullRare-earth controlsMetals cost

Connectivity & Sensors

2 · Watch
10–24 wkslead time
Pulse Index

Stable until a May sensor spike, then selective watch.

Backend capacity (MY/PH)

Lighting & Opto

1 · Stable
8–16 wkslead time
Pulse Index

Stable anchor all seven months.

China export controls