China’s optical exports are having an extremely good year. In the first quarter, exports of fiber-optic cable and optical modules rose at a double-digit pace, while some specialized fiber products became ten times more expensive over the past year. Demand is so hot that many manufacturers are already booked with export orders stretching into 2028, and buyers are putting down advance payments just to reserve production slots.
The mismatch is simple: orders are rising faster than factories can ship. Reported order volumes were four times higher than a year earlier, but actual deliveries only doubled because production capacity is still the bottleneck. That kind of gap usually means one thing: the suppliers with the spare machines and the right lines get to charge what the market will bear.
Optical module exports are still climbing
Optical modules, or transceivers, are also moving fast. Export volume rose by about 30% year on year in the first quarter, with the 1.6T module made by a Wuhan-based company emerging as the most sought-after product abroad. Chinese firms now control more than 70% of the global optical module market and 60% of the fiber market, which helps explain why foreign buyers have so few easy alternatives.
- Fiber-optic cable exports: double-digit growth in the first quarter
- Optical module exports: about 30% growth year on year
- Specialized fiber prices: up 10 times over the past year
- Order books: filled through 2028 for some companies
China’s fiber supply chain has the upper hand
This is not just a China story; it is a data-center and AI infrastructure story hiding inside an export report. Global demand for faster networking gear has been pressuring supply chains everywhere, but China’s scale gives it a bigger share of the upside than most rivals. The uncomfortable part for customers is that ”available” and ”shippable” are no longer the same thing, at least not for the highest-end components.
The next question is whether the current surge eases once new capacity comes online, or whether optical gear stays tight long enough to keep prices elevated. For buyers, that means more prepayments and longer waits. For suppliers, it means a rare chance to turn bandwidth into bargaining power.