As of June 18, the price of germanium ingots has surged to 25,000 yuan per kilogram, reflecting an increase of over 83% since the end of 2025. This dramatic price hike is largely attributable to a sharp uptick in demand for optical fibers, particularly in the realm of AI computing infrastructure. In the production of optical fibers, germanium tetrachloride serves as a crucial raw material for doping the core of optical fiber preforms. This doping process enhances the core's refractive index, thereby improving the transmission capabilities of the fibers. A prominent manufacturer of optical fiber preforms commented, "Although germanium constitutes a relatively small portion of the raw material costs for optical fiber preforms, the downstream industry has stringent purity requirements for germanium materials. Furthermore, the domestic supply of germanium is highly concentrated, and the material is virtually irreplaceable. These factors have exacerbated the supply-demand imbalance for germanium."