WASHINGTON – Worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $85.2 billion during the third quarter of 2015, down 2.8% year-over-year and up 1.5% sequentially, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
Global sales for the month of September were $28.4 billion, a decrease of 2.8% compared to the same month in 2014 and up 1.9% sequentially.
All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization and represent a three-month moving average.
“Global semiconductor sales showed signs of resilience in September, increasing compared to the previous month across all regional markets for the first time in more than a year,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, SIA. “However, softening demand and currency devaluation caused year-to-year sales to dip for the third straight month.”
Regionally, sales were up sequentially in the Americas (4%), China (2.6%), Europe (2.2%), Japan (0.5%), and Asia Pacific/All Other (0.1%). Year-over-year sales increased in China (5%), but decreased in Asia Pacific/All Other (3.5%), the Americas (3.9%), Europe (10.6%), and Japan (11.4%).
“One thing proven to spur semiconductor sales globally is maintaining free and open markets,” Neuffer said. “In June, SIA successfully encouraged policymakers to approve legislation to facilitate free trade agreements. In July, a major deal was struck in Geneva at the World Trade Organization to expand the Information Technology Agreement to eliminate tariffs on next-generation semiconductors called MCOs and a wide range of tech products. And in October, negotiators from around the Asia-Pacific region reached an agreement on a massive trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP would spur growth and promote innovation in our industry and throughout the US economy, and Congress should approve it.”