Largest Jump in 3 Years for Semis
WASHINGTON — Worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $25.87 billion in February, an increase of 11.4% from a year ago, the Semiconductor Industry Association said today. It was the industry’s largest year-to-year increase in more than three years.
Global sales in February were 1.5% lower sequentially, reflecting normal seasonal trends. Regionally, sales in the Americas increased 18% compared to last February.
All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.
“The trend lines remain positive for the global semiconductor industry, which has followed record revenues in 2013 with an encouraging start to 2014,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO of SIA. “The Americas market continues to demonstrate impressive growth, while sales in Asia Pacific and Europe also increased substantially year-to-year, and the Japanese market continued its recent rebound.”
Regionally, year-to-year sales increased in the Americas (18%), Asia Pacific (12%), and Europe (9.6%). Sales decreased slightly in Japan (down 0.2%), but February marked the region’s smallest year-to-year decrease since August 2012. Sales fell across all regions compared to the previous month, as February sales historically are lower than January sales due to seasonal trends.
“The U.S. semiconductor market has been a key driver of global market growth over the last year, and policymakers in Washington can help maintain this momentum by enacting measures that remove obstacles to continued growth,” Toohey said. “One such obstacle is America’s dysfunctional immigration system, which was revealed again this week when scarce H-1B visas were rapidly claimed by employers. Lawmakers should recognize that outdated immigration policies hamper economic growth and innovation, and they should work together to enact meaningful immigration reform in short order.”
