Global News

February 14, 2003
Semiconductors bouncing back from slump

UNITED STATES -- In the latest sign that the semiconductor industry is bouncing back from its slump, worldwide chip sales improved nearly 20 percent in November over last year, an industry group said. Global sales reached $US12.68bn ($22.6bn) in November 2002 compared with $US10.6bn in the same month last year (2001), according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.

Wireless chips drove much of the growth, said George Scalise, the trade group's president. "The November sales of the global chip industry underscores the healthy recovery that has been building momentum throughout this year," he said. "The wireless sector continues to be the strongest single market."

Flash memory and digital signal processors jumped 6.6 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. In the computer markets, sales of processors increased 0.5 percent and DRAMs improved 5.8 percent. Europe saw the greatest improvement in sales, 5.8 percent, followed by Asia Pacific with 1.3 percent. The Americas and Japan declined slightly, 0.8 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.

The San Jose-based SIA has represented US chip manufacturers since 1977. Its members account for more than 90 percent of US chip production.