Japan’s chip market grows as global decline abates
In March, the three-month average of the global market for semiconductors was $26.09 billion, down 5.8 percent compared with the same figure in 2015. The year-on-year fall was a lower percentage than the 6.2 percent decline recorded in February (see Chip market decline deepens), potentially an indicator that the worst of the chip market recession is over.
Three-month average of sales for March and February 2016. Source: SIA/WSTS.
The Americas region showed three-month averaged sales in March of $4.89 billion, down 15.8 percent from the same period a year before. Europe with $2.67 billion of three-month averaged sales and Asia-Pacific excluding China with $8.01 billion were down 9.8 and 6.4 percent respectively, compared with the same period a year before.
China’s three-month average market – which has continued to grow through the winter but at a much reduced pace than before – climbed to $7.93 billion in March, up 1.3 percent compared with the same period a year before.
All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. This means that the March three-month average when multiplied by three is equivalent to the first quarter sales.
Monthly data is given by the SIA and ESIA as a three-month average, although the WSTS organization 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 show troughs at the beginnings of quarters and peaks at the ends of quarters.
Related links and articles:
News articles:
Chip market off to slow start in 2016
Chip market slump drags 2015 annual sales lower
Global chip market to shrink for three years, says IHS
China is chip market’s only growth region
October chip market points to flat 2015
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