Global semi sales down 15.5% in 1Q/2019

Global sales for the month of March 2019 were USD 32.3 billion, a dip of 1.8 percent compared to the previous month's total and 13 percent less than sales from March 2018, writes industry association The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) in its latest report. "Global semiconductor sales slowed during the first quarter of 2019, falling short of the previous quarter and Q1 of last year by double-digit percentages," said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. "Sales in March decreased on a year-to-year basis across all major regional markets and semiconductor product categories, consistent with the cyclical trend the global market has experienced recently." Regionally, sales increased slightly on a month-to-month basis in China (1.3 percent) and Europe (0.6 percent), but decreased in Asia Pacific/All Other (-1.9 percent), Japan (-4.5 percent), and the Americas (-6.7 percent). On a year-to-year basis, sales were down across all regional markets: Europe (-6.8 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (-9.3 percent), China (-9.4 percent), Japan (-11.1 percent), and the Americas (-26.6 percent).