KUALA LUMPUR (April 7): Global sales of semiconductors rose 6.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) in February this year to US$27.8 billion from US$26 billion a year earlier, according to the U-based Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).

In a statement yesterday on its website, the SIA said the February sales were 2.7% lower month-on-month from the US$28.5 billion sales in January this year.

All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organisation and represent a three-month moving average.

SIA president and chief executive officer John Neuffer said the global semiconductor industry maintained momentum in February, posting its twenty-second straight month of year-to-year (y-o-y) growth despite macroeconomic headwinds.

“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,” said Neuffer.

Regionally, y-o-y sales increased in the Americas (17.1%) and Asia Pacific (7.6%), but decreased in Europe (-2.0%) and Japan (-8.8%).

Sales decreased compared to the previous month in Europe (-1.6%), Asia Pacific (-2.2%), Japan (-2.3%), and the Americas (-4.4%). 

Neuffer said while the SIA was encouraged by the semiconductor market’s sustained growth over the last two years, a key driver of the industry’s continued success was free trade.

“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,” he said.