February chip sales up 6.7%

Semiconductor sales in February were up 6.7% on February 2014 at $27.8 billion but down 2.7% on January 2015, reports the SIA.

“The global semiconductor industry maintained momentum in February, posting its 22nd straight month of year-to-year growth despite macroeconomic headwinds,” says John Neuffer, SIA CEO, “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, y-o-y sales increased by 17.1% in the US and by 7.6% in Asia Pacific, but decreased in Europe by -2.0%) and inJapan by -8.8%.

Compared to January, sales fell: in Europe (-1.6%), Asia Pacific (-2.2%), Japan (-2.3%), and the Americas (-4.4%).

“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 continues, “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.”

david manners

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