Month-to-month increase of 3 percent is global market's largest in nearly 3 years; sales remain behind last year's pace

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2016 — (PRNewswire) — The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research, today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $27.1 billion for the month of July 2016, an increase of 2.6 percent compared to the previous month's total of $26.4 billion. July marked the global market's largest month-to-month sales increase since September 2013, though sales were down 2.8 percent compared to the July 2015 total of $27.9 billion. Underscoring the welcome uptick, month-to-month sales increased in all regional markets for the first time since October 2015. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

"The modest increase in global semiconductor sales in July was the global market's largest month-to-month growth in nearly three years, an encouraging sign of potentially stronger sales during the remainder of 2016 and beyond," said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. "After months of lagging sales, the Americas region was a bright spot in July, posting 3.3 percent growth to lead all regional markets. Meanwhile, most major semiconductor product categories saw increased sales in July compared to the previous month, with DRAM leading the way with 7.1 percent growth."

In addition to the month-to-month growth in the Americas, sales also increased in China (3.2 percent), Japan (3.1 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (1.8 percent), and Europe (0.7 percent). Year-to-year sales increased in China (4.7 percent), but dropped in Japan (-1.1 percent), Europe (-4.9 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (-6.8 percent), and the Americas (-7.5 percent).

"As Congress returns to Washington this week, we urge policymakers to work together to advance initiatives that promote growth and innovation in the semiconductor industry and throughout the U.S. economy," Neuffer said. "One such measure is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a landmark agreement that would tear down barriers to trade with Pacific-Rim countries. Congress should do what's right for U.S. businesses, consumers, and our economy and approve the TPP."

To find out how to purchase the WSTS Subscription Package, which includes comprehensive monthly semiconductor sales data and detailed WSTS Forecasts, please visit http://www.semiconductors.org/industry_statistics/wsts_subscription_package/. For detailed data on the global and U.S. semiconductor industry and market, please consider purchasing the 2016 SIA Databook here: https://www.semiconductors.org/forms/sia_databook/.   

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