Also it's worth noting that "A can afford to pay a higher surcharge than B in order to get slots in a fab" essentially means "the consumers are voting with the

Also it's worth noting that "A can afford to pay a higher surcharge than B in order to get slots in a fab" essentially means "the consumers are voting with their wallets that getting A without delay is more important than getting B without delay". Prices, and the willingness to tolerate an increase in them, is the ultimate signal of what people actually consider important, as opposed to just 'empty words' claims of importance.