June global chip sales stay soft on U.S. weakness

LONDON – Worldwide sales of semiconductors reached a three-month average of $24.38 billion in June for the month of June 2012, a decrease of 0.1 percent from the prior month when the averaged sales were $24.40 billion, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.

The sales came in slightly below some analysts' expectations and sequential decline in the Americas region of 3.6 percent has offset sequential growth in the Japanese and Asia Pacific regions.

The averaged global sales for June 2012 were 2 percent lower than in June 2011. The three-month averages have been below their equivalents in 2011 throughout the first half of 2012 although the difference is diminishing, the SIA said.

"The semiconductor industry continues to navigate the turbulent global economy better than most sectors, but macroeconomic uncertainties are limiting overall recovery and growth. The Japan and Asia Pacific sequential increases are encouraging signs, but are tempered by continued weakness in Europe and the Americas," said Brian Toohey, president and CEO of the SIA, in a statement. "Congress can help ease economic uncertainty by enacting effective and dependable policies that promote American competitiveness and spur economic growth. Policymakers should chart a path forward during the August congressional recess and return to Washington, D.C. next month ready to act."

Regionally, semiconductor sales increased on a sequential monthly basis in Japan (2 percent) and Asia Pacific (0.6 percent) but declined in Europe (-0.7 percent) and the Americas (-3.6 percent). Compared to June 2011, sales in June 2012 increased in Japan (3.7 percent) and Asia Pacific (1.0 percent) but fell steeply in the Americas (-8.1 percent) and Europe (-12.1 percent).

Japan and Asia Pacific attained month-over-month and year-over-year growth simultaneously for the first time since September 2010.

Monthly chip sales figures are given by the SIA as a three-month average although the source, the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization, tracks actual sales. The SIA and other regional semiconductor industry bodies use the averaged data because it smoothes out peaks and troughs within quarters.


Click on image to enlarge.
June 2012 global chip sales by region. Source: SIA (Figures in U.S. dollar billions are three month averages.)


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