China, Asia chip markets gain strength
Because the SIA reports three-month averaged sales these March figures are proxies for the 1Q21. The relative performance may reflects that China and Asia-Pacific markets slowed in the 1Q20 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. But the data likely also reflects strong demand in 2021 that is not being met by suppliers and is driving up component prices.
All regions exhibited annual growth ranging from Europe at 8.7 percent, the Americas at 9.2 percent and a strong performance from Japan at 13.0 percent. The global chip market therefore grew 17.8 percent on an annual basis.
The three-month averaged sales show that China and the Asia-Pacific region together were responsible for $26.05 billion of averaged sales in March – or $78.15 billion in the 1Q21. This represents of 63.5 percent of total semiconductor sales. In contrast Japan with just $3.26 billion of three-month averaged sales holds 7.9 percent, Europe holds 9.0 percent and the Americas 19.6 percent.
Three-month average of chip sales by geographic region for March and February 2021. Source: SIA/WSTS.
Monthly data is given by the SIA as a three-month average although the source of the data, the WSTS, tracks actual monthly data. The SIA and other regional semiconductor industry bodies opt to use averaged data because it evens out the actual data that typically shows troughs at the beginnings of quarters and peaks at the ends of quarters.
Related links and articles:
News articles:
China’s chip market booms as global sales strength continues
Europe left behind as chip market takes-off
Pace of chip market growth slows in China
V-shaped pandemic sets up chip shortages, rising prices in 2021
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