WASHINGTON — Worldwide semiconductor sales reached $27.8 billion on a 90-day moving average in February, up 6.7% from last year.

Global sales were down 2.7% from the revised January total due to seasonality, the Semiconductor Industry Association said. Americas sales increased 17.1% from a year ago.

All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“The global semiconductor industry maintained momentum in February, posting its 22nd straight month of year-to-year growth despite macroeconomic headwinds,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, SIA. “Sales of DRAM and analog products were particularly strong, notching double-digit growth over last February, and the Americas market achieved its largest year-to-year sales increase in 12 months.”

Regionally, year-to-year sales increased 17.1% in the Americas and 7.6% in Asia-Pacific but decreased in 2% Europe and 8.8% in Japan. Sequential sales were down 1.6% in Europe, 2.2% in Asia-Pacific, 2.3% in Japan and 4.4% in the Americas.

"While we are encouraged by the semiconductor market’s sustained growth over the last two years, a key driver of our industry’s continued success is free trade,” Neuffer continued. “A legislative initiative called Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) has paved the way for opening markets to American goods and services for decades, helping to give life to nearly every U.S. free trade agreement in existence, but it expired in 2007. With several important free trade agreements currently under negotiation, Congress should swiftly re-enact TPA.”

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