Global semi sales to fall in 2012, rise in 2013
The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) industry organisation has downgraded its previous forecasts and now predicts a weak end to the year for the global chip market.
The company anticipates total sales of $290billion in 2012, down 3.2% from 2011. This, however, is expected to be followed by a growth rate of 4.5% to $303bn in 2013.
The reason for the downgrading, according to WSTS, is due mainly to growing uncertainty in the world economy, namely China's slowdown.
Negative growth rate is expected in all geographical regions and all product categories, except logic and optoelectronics. Europe will be the hardest hit, it says.
For 2013, WSTS does not predict continued semiconductor market decline. Instead, it anticipates the world market will grow 5.2% to $319bn in 2014, with healthy mid single digit growth across most of geographical regions and semiconductor product categories.
