Samsung has secured commitments covering 70% of global HBM (high-bandwidth memory) capacity through 2031, according to a report by 24/7 Wall St. The figure signals that the memory shortage gripping AI hardware supply chains is not close to ending.

The duration of the lock-up is the standout detail. Capacity agreements in the semiconductor industry typically cover one to two years. A horizon stretching to 2031 — roughly six years out — indicates that buyers are willing to contract supply nearly a decade in advance rather than compete on the spot market.

What does the 70% figure mean?

HBM sits at the center of the current AI buildout. The memory stacks feed the accelerators that train and run large models, and supply has trailed demand since the generative AI ramp began. If one producer controls committed access to 70% of that capacity, the remaining 30% must serve every other customer in the market.

That arithmetic points in one direction for buyers outside the deal:

• Longer qualification timelines for alternative suppliers
• Sustained pricing pressure on the uncommitted share of supply
• Incentives to sign long-dated contracts of their own before capacity disappears

Why does the horizon matter?

A 2031 endpoint tells the market how long the tightness is expected to persist. Producers do not commit capacity on that scale unless both sides expect demand to absorb it. The contract effectively prices in six more years of AI-driven memory consumption at or above current levels.

For hardware planners, the message is direct. Any product roadmap that assumes HBM becomes cheaply available in the interim now conflicts with the terms of the largest capacity agreement in the segment.

Who feels it first?

Second-tier accelerator vendors and hyperscalers without a stake in the committed capacity face the tightest constraint. They compete for the residual 30% while the largest buyer group works from a secured base. Expect procurement teams to respond with earlier contracting cycles and expanded qualification programs at competing memory makers.

The report does not specify the counterparties or the financial terms of the arrangement.

The takeaway

One number defines the story: 70% of HBM capacity, committed through 2031. Memory was a cyclical commodity for most of the industry's history. Deals of this length and scale treat it as a strategic, pre-sold resource — and they leave the rest of the market planning around a shortage with a multi-year runway.