The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) shied away from calling a bottom to plunging semiconductor sales but clung to faint hopes of better times ahead due to slightly better factory utilization rates at the major foundries to report IC sales for February, 2009 that saw sales decline Year-on-Year and Month-on-Month.
Semiconductors sales came in at US$14.2 billion in February, a decline of 30.4% compared to February 2008 sales of US$20.3 billion. Sales were said to have declined by 7.6% from January when sales were $15.3 billion.
“The global semiconductor industry is going through one of the steepest corrections in its history,” said SIA President George Scalise. “While it would be premature to conclude that the sales decline has hit bottom, there are some indications that the rate of decline has moderated from the final quarter of 2008. The industry responded quickly to the changing market environment by curtailing production and reducing inventory as demand slowed in late 2008. The world’s two largest foundry manufacturers have recently reported slight improvements in factory utilization rates, albeit at levels well below those of a year ago,” Scalise continued.
All major regions showed significant declines Month-on-Month. However North American sales declined the least at -3.7%. Japanese sales declined the most at -13.8%.