Global chip sales in the first quarter rose 18.8% year-on-year to $167.7bn, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
At the same time, they were down 2.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the press release.
“Global demand for semiconductors remains strong,” particularly driven by the U.S., noted SIA president and CEO John Newfer, quoted in the release.
Chip sales totalled $55.9bn in March, the best volume for the month since the settlement was made. They were up nearly 19% from March last year and 2% from February this year.
Sales in the Americas soared nearly one and a half times (45.3%) year-over-year in March. Growth in China was 7.6%, in Japan – 5.8%, in Asia-Pacific and other regions – 15.4%. Meanwhile, in Europe, they declined by 2%.
Compared to February, chip sales decreased by 0.4% in the Americas and 0.4% in Japan. At the same time, Europe recorded a 5.7 per cent rise, the PRC 2.4 per cent and APAC 3.6 per cent.
SIA covers about 99% of US semiconductor manufacturers and about 66% of chip makers from other countries.