US Tariffs on Silver to Drive Innovation in the Conductive Inks Market, Reports IDTechEx

Associated Press

10-04-2025

Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - April 10, 2025) - The conductive inks market has been forecast to exceed US$6.5 billion by 2034; however, market intelligence firm IDTechEx reports that the imposed tariffs by the United States of America could have a dramatic impact on the technology landscape for conductive inks. Silver flake-based ink is the dominant ink type globally, but up to 80% of the required silver is imported to the USA. As the market adjusts, emerging manufacturers and different ink materials will require validation, while varied applications have specific requirements when it comes to ink properties.
IDTechEx has provided market insights into the printed electronics and conductive inks industry for almost fifteen years, reporting on commercial and technological updates within the space. Their independent report, " Conductive Inks Market 2024-2034: Technologies, Applications, Players", includes granular 10-year market forecasts across eight different ink types and 15 application areas. The report leverages extensive in-depth coverage of many end-use markets for conductive inks, combined with profiles of 30+ key players in the conductive inks industry.
Ink technology
IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst, Dr Conor O'Brien, explains: 'The conductive inks market is dominated by silver flake-based inks, which offer multiple benefits, including lower cost (primarily due to simple processing), compatibility with scalable printing technologies, and relative durability. Although other types of ink may tout higher conductivity, for many applications the printability and durability are the most important factors. The major drawback for silver flake-based inks is exposure to the volatility of raw material costs. With fewer value-adding processing steps compared to other inks, raw material costs make up a significant portion of the price of flake-based silver inks. Any increases in bulk silver costs will lead to a greater percentage increase in silver flake-based inks.
The recently announced tariffs on imports to the United States could have a drastic impact on the price of silver flake-based inks. With 80% of the silver used in the US imported from abroad, mostly from Mexico, the effect of the trade tariffs will significantly impact the market. Not only will the price of raw materials be impacted, but the uncertainty surrounding the long-term implementation of tariffs must also be considered. At LOPEC 2025, it was reported to IDTechEx by multiple suppliers of raw materials to the conductive inks market that bulk silver typically trades at US$32 per troy ounce, with minor fluctuations of 15%, but that tariffs could see the troy ounce price point exceed US$40.'
Alternative inks
Dr O'Brien was recently invited to join a meeting of the IEC Technical Committee 119: Printed Electronics, discussing the various required properties of conductive inks for different applications, contributing to defining key terminology and developing a standardization roadmap for the field. As alternative inks to silver-flake based inks are developed, this topic is of increasing importance. Some of the most promising non-silver ink types include copper inks and stretchable/thermoformable inks. Copper inks offer lower price points, with dramatically reduced raw material costs, while stretchable and thermoformable inks are platform technologies for non-conformal form factors through 3D electronics and in-mold electronics.
The IDTechEx report provides comprehensive coverage of the properties that must be considered for emerging technology types.
Conductive Inks Market 2024-2034: Technologies, Applications, Players". Downloadable sample pages are available for this report.
www.IDTechEx.com/Research.
About IDTechEx
Charlotte Martin