iSuppli anticipates full Japan quake recovery by Q3

Electronics companies with operations near the epicenter of the quake that had suffered building and equipment damage are expected to restore full shipments by early September, six months after the quake occurred on March 11. The restoration will coincide with the peak season for electronics and semiconductor sales in the third quarter. "In the history of the electronics supply chain, nothing has had such a broad impact as the Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster," said Dale Ford, senior vp for semiconductor market intelligence at IHS. "The worldwide repercussions of the catastrophe illustrated the global and interconnected nature of the electronics industry, with the impact of the disaster reverberating through the materials, components and equipment segments of the supply chain." Ford maintained that the timing of the recovery will be fortuitous. "Following normal seasonal patterns, global semiconductor revenue growth will peak in Q3, with a sequential rise of 7.4%," he said. "This compares to a 1.4% decline in Q1, a 2.9% increase in Q2 and a 3.1 % rise in Q4."