Core Viewpoint - The demand for hard disk drives (HDD) in the Chinese market is increasing, leading to a 1% rise in bulk trading prices from Q2 to Q3. This price increase is attributed to rising component costs and strong procurement demand from data centers, with expectations for continued price growth in large-capacity HDDs [1][4]. Group 1: HDD Price Trends - HDD prices for 3.5-inch 1TB drives used in desktop computers and surveillance cameras reached approximately $51.0 each in Q3, marking a 1% increase from the previous quarter. Similarly, 2.5-inch 1TB drives for laptops also saw a 1% rise, priced at about $48.4 each. Both products have experienced price increases for two consecutive quarters, maintaining high price levels [2][3]. Group 2: Factors Influencing Demand - The surge in demand from China is driven by government policies encouraging the purchase of domestic computers, with specific needs arising from educational computers. There are indications that HDDs are being used in computers equipped with Huawei's HarmonyOS [6]. - A major HDD manufacturer reported receiving orders from Chinese clients that exceeded production capacity before the Golden Week, particularly for 3.5-inch products, indicating a notable shortage [6]. Group 3: Market Dynamics - Despite expectations that the rise of solid-state drives (SSD) would reduce HDD usage in computers, the current price increase is a result of declining HDD shipments, rising component costs, and unique demand from China. There is uncertainty about whether prices will continue to rise after Q4 [6]. - For nearline data center applications, demand for large-capacity HDDs remains strong. In Q2, global shipments of nearline HDDs increased by 1.86 million units (12.7%) compared to the previous quarter, reaching 16.47 million units [6].