Global semiconductor materials sales hit new high

The standing record for semiconductor materials revenue fell as the chip market's record revenue of USD 412.2 billion in 2017 also gave way to an all-time high – USD 468.8 billion – last year, according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS). Wafer fabrication materials and packaging materials revenues totaled USD 32.2 billion and USD 19.7* billion, respectively, in 2018, for year-over-year increases of 15.9% and 3.0% for the two segments. For the ninth consecutive year, Taiwan, at USD 11.4 billion, was the largest consumer of semiconductor materials on the strength of its large foundry and advanced packaging base. Korea rose in the rankings to claim the second spot while China fell to third last year. The materials markets in South Korea, Europe, Taiwan, and China saw the strongest revenue growth, while the North America, Rest of World (ROW) and Japan markets experienced single-digit growth. (The ROW region is defined as Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, other areas of Southeast Asia and smaller global markets.)

Region	2017**	2018%	Change
Taiwan	10.30	11.45	11%
South Korea	7.51	8.72	16%
China	7.63	8.44	11%
Japan	7.04	7.69	9%
Rest of World	5.81	6.21	7%
North America	5.29	5.61	6%
Europe	3.36	3.82	14%
Total	46.94	51.94	11%

* Includes ceramic packages and flexible substrates ** 2017 data have been updated based on SEMI's data collection programs