LONDON — Sales of semiconductors in Europe during March were $3.4 billion, up 2.1 percent over the previous month and an increase of just 0.5 percent on the $3.4 billion achieved in the same period last year. The growth rates are the slowest of the four regions tracked by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
Meanwhile the three-month moving average of global chip sales came in at $21 billion for March, down 5.1 percent from the previous three-month moving average, which was $22.3 billion.
The SIA said the decline reflects a normal seasonal drop from the historically strong fourth quarter.
The figures indicate that the exchange rate of the Euro to the dollar are continuing to impact growth, as noted last month by the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA).
Year-on-year sales show European sales were by far the slowest. Japan managed to grow by 9.6 percent, with sales of $4.25 billion in March 2008 compared to $3.87 billion in the corresponding month last year. In the U.S, sales were worth $3.4 2 billion , compared with $3.34 during March 2007, a growth of 2.3 percent, while the corresponding growth in the Asia Pacific region was 3.3 percent to $10.08 billion.
Worldwide sales in March were $21.1 billion, 3.4 percent higher than the $20.5 billion reported for February 2008. While Europe grew by just 2.1 percent, Japan managed a 6.5 percent increase from the previous month, to $4.25 billion, the Americas a month-on-month increase of 3.5 percent to $3.42 billion, and the Asia Pacific region came in at $10.08 billion, up 2.5 percent on the previous month.
The three-month-moving average of sales shows a slightly different picture, with Europe showing a 3.6 percent decline, Asia Pacific down by 6.6 percent on the figures for October to December, and North America showing a 6.5 percent decline. Sales held up well in Japan, declining by just 1.4 percent between January to March and October to December.
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