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The Semiconductor Industry Association recently reported that worldwide sales of semiconductors reached an industry high of $18.19 billion for August 2000. This represents an increase from $11.91 billion in August 1999, a 52.7% year-over-year growth in chip sales.

"This is a remarkable year for semiconductors," said George Scalise, president of the SIA. "We continue to see strong growth for chips used in consumer, Internet, and telecommunications products," he added.

The increase in semiconductor sales was apparent in all geographical regions with the wired, wireless and Internet infrastructure markets experiencing the largest growth in demand. The Asia Pacific and Japan markets grew 60.2% and 53.7%, respectively from last year. The Americas market was up 50.3% from last year, and Europe's sales grew 46.4%.

The SIA's Global Sales Report (GSR) is a three-month moving average of sales activity. The GSR is tabulated by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization, which represent some 70 companies. The three-month moving average is a mathematical smoothing technique that takes out variations due to company's monthly financial calendars.

More information about the SIA and charts reflecting the July numbers can be found at www.semichips.org.

Edited by Brian Hegarty
Assistant Editor, Semiconductor Online