Copper-clad laminate (CCL) makers Elite Material (EMC), Iteq, Taiwan Union Technology (TUC) and Uniplus Electronics are expected to see the first-quarter of 2011 buck seasonal trends, as clients start building up inventory ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, according to industry sources.

A bullish outlook for CCL prices is also encouraging downstream customers to step up procurement before prices go up, the sources said. Quotes for CCLs have gone up on rising copper foil and glass yarn/fabric prices, the sources added.

EMC has announced consolidated revenues of NT$1.11 billion (US$38 million) for December 2010, down 1.85% on month. Consolidated sales for the entire year totaled NT$13.465 billion, rising 36.5% from the 2009 levels.

EMC has ramped up its capacity by 150,000 units at each of its plants in Taiwan and China. In addition, the company revealed it is constructing a new plant in Kunshan, China and expects to begin commercial operations at the new facility in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Iteq turned in NT$1.56 billion in December consolidated revenues, up 4.1% sequentially. Consolidated sales for all of 2010 climbed 63.5% to NT$19.8 billion.

Iteq now has a total capacity of 3.1-3.5 million CCLs a month, The company is looking to start construction of a new plant in Hubei Province, central China, in 2011.

TUC's consolidated revenues grew 11.5% on month to NT$870 million in December. Sales amounted to NT$9.98 billion in 2010, up 62.9% on year.

TUC expects to have a total capacity of 1.9 million CCLs a month when capacity at its new plant in Zhungshan, China comes online.