LONDON — The three-month moving average of worldwide chip sales was $21.3 billion, down from $22.3 billion in December but also down 0.8 percent from the equivalent average for January 2007, according to Bruce Diesen, analyst with Carnegie Research.
Diesen attributes the fall to pricing pressure on memory chips due to oversupply and slow sales of consumer electronics.
Diesen said that technology-based exports from China were strong in January with an emphasis on personal computer and mobile phone handets. However, this was balanced by a sharp cut in production by Japanese manufacturers acting to avoid an inventory build-up. Data from Singapore also pointed to weakness in data storage demand for chips, Diesen said.
"We expect 2008 chip sales to rise 4 percent in dollars and 11 percent in volume," said Diesen in a statement.
Related articles:
Chip sales fell in December
2008 IC growth forecasts range from 0 to 12 percent
SIA to revise IC forecast amid snafu
11%
13%
41%
12%
22%
