
Pandemic comparison makes chip market look strong
However, Europe’s rapid uptick to rival China and Asia-Pacific with greater than 20 percent annual growth in the April 2021 averaged sales data is more a testament to the rapid decline a year before as the Covid-19 pandemic gripped global trade.
Europe’s April averaged chip market was up 20.1 percent compared with a year before while the equivalent figure in March had only been up 8.7 percent. Month-on-month Europe’s chip market had moved forward by 1.6 percent indicating that a rapid fall in the market a year before was the major factor.
The Chinese chip market remained above 25 percent year-on-year in April with the Asia-Pacific region excluding China performing almost as well. The China and Asia-Pacific regions between them are responsible for 63 percent of the chip market.
In fact all regions exhibited strong annual growth with Japan at 17.6 percent the Americas region at 14.3 percent. All the lowest growing on an annual basis the Americas region is the strongest month-on-month.
On the basis of the latest three-month averaged figures Japan holds 8.0 percent of the chip market, Europe holds 8.9 percent and the Americas region 19.9 percent.
Three-month average of chip sales by geographic region for April and March 2021. Source: SIA/WSTS.
Monthly data is given by the SIA as a three-month average although the source of the data, World Semiconductor Trade Statisics, 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:
WSTS recasts 2021 as 20% growth year for chip market
China, Asia chip markets gain strength
China’s chip market booms as global sales strength continues
Europe left behind as chip market takes-off
V-shaped pandemic sets up chip shortages, rising prices in 2021
