Semiconductor sales remain buoyant

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 3 Sep 2008 at 09:33

Global semiconductor sales rose 7.6% in July from the previous year, helped by strong growth in consumer electronics and mobile phones.

Worldwide sales were $22.178 billion, up from $20.603 billion a year ago, the Semiconductor Industry Association says in a monthly report.

"LCD TV units are projected to increase 32% this year, and digital set top boxes and digital still cameras will both be up around 20%," says SIA President George Scalise in a statement, bearing out findings that consumers are turning to gadgets to cheer themselves up during the credit crunch.

Excluding memory products, semiconductor sales increased by 11.6% year-on-year and by 3.2% sequentially. However, sales of DRAM and NAND flash memory continue to slip as a result of continuing price erosion.

Separately, research firm Gartner is claiming any rebound in global chip demand could be delayed until 2010 as demand shrinks in the second half of this year and worldwide economic conditions worsen.