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Memory Makers Plan to Cut NAND Flash Production

anandtech.com

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Re: Memory Makers Plan to Cut NAND Flash Production

#4
> three major manufacturers of NAND memory — Intel, Micron, and SK Hynix — have announced that they will be taking measures to address the oversupply

Isn't that illegal? To fix the market by colluding and price fixing?

How is this different from the act that Mercedes, BMW and VW are getting fined for for colluding to not release emissions tech?

Re: Memory Makers Plan to Cut NAND Flash Production

#5

> three major manufacturers of NAND memory — Intel, Micron, and SK Hynix — have announced that they will be taking measures to address the oversupply Isn't that illegal? To fix the market by colluding and price fixing? How is this different from the act that Mercedes, BMW and VW are getting fined for for colluding to not release emissions tech?

it's illegal if and only if it can be proven that they coordinated their production cut.

They all respond to the same changing market conditions -- they can't just continue increasing their production when the price continues its downward spiral. Further, the largest producer Samsung hasn't joined the foray yet according to the article. Samsung is a big variable in this -- the company's expansion created the memory glut that drove the whole industry to record loss in 2015-2016.

The EU's antitrust authority claims that the automakers "coordinated" strategies to limit competition. This is probably not the case here.

Re: Memory Makers Plan to Cut NAND Flash Production

#6

> three major manufacturers of NAND memory — Intel, Micron, and SK Hynix — have announced that they will be taking measures to address the oversupply Isn't that illegal? To fix the market by colluding and price fixing? How is this different from the act that Mercedes, BMW and VW are getting fined for for colluding to not release emissions tech?

> Isn't that illegal?

Yeah, how dare these companies adjust their production to respond to supply/demand imbalances? /s

I cringe at the vision of a world where that would be illegal.

Re: Memory Makers Plan to Cut NAND Flash Production

#7

> three major manufacturers of NAND memory — Intel, Micron, and SK Hynix — have announced that they will be taking measures to address the oversupply Isn't that illegal? To fix the market by colluding and price fixing? How is this different from the act that Mercedes, BMW and VW are getting fined for for colluding to not release emissions tech?

Their defense would probably be that once they cut their legacy nodes there is a lot of incentive here for the individual players to defect from their announced participation in the market consensus.

The modern way of doing price fixing is through corporate M&A and that's been rubber stamped by every U.S. administration for >40 years.

Re: Memory Makers Plan to Cut NAND Flash Production

#8

> three major manufacturers of NAND memory — Intel, Micron, and SK Hynix — have announced that they will be taking measures to address the oversupply Isn't that illegal? To fix the market by colluding and price fixing? How is this different from the act that Mercedes, BMW and VW are getting fined for for colluding to not release emissions tech?

> Isn't that illegal? Yeah, how dare these companies adjust their production to respond to supply/demand imbalances? /s I cringe at the vision of a world where that would be illegal.

I think you misunderstood my concern. I'm not talking about Intel adjusting its production to meet its demand. I'm talking about a collection of competetitors getting together and saying that we should limit supply so that the prices stay where they can make a good profit. How could that be healthy competition?

If all cement manufacturers suddenly got together and said they'll keep their prices at 40% more than others what happens to the construction industry and the consumers looking to build houses?

Re: Memory Makers Plan to Cut NAND Flash Production

#9
post #3

Questions: 1. Can someone explain why this is not a clear cut of a collusion? Didn't the same "cartel" get busted for this behavior a while ago? 2. Why aren't they under tight regulation since they have a history of doing this?

because there is no proof of collusion. Absolutely no need for any further regulation.

Re: Memory Makers Plan to Cut NAND Flash Production

#10
post #9
post #3

Questions: 1. Can someone explain why this is not a clear cut of a collusion? Didn't the same "cartel" get busted for this behavior a while ago? 2. Why aren't they under tight regulation since they have a history of doing this?

because there is no proof of collusion. Absolutely no need for any further regulation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRAM_price_fixing

They've pled guilty in the original DRAM price fixing collusion and they just got sued last year for the same charge, it's ongoing.

I can only guess that laws are more lenient in Asia and they can only be charged in US after the fact.

Edit: removed my opinion about getting sued again as that's off the topic.

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