Worldwide Semiconductor Demand Reached ‘New High’ in 2018, Says SIA 

Global semiconductor shipments increased 13.7 percent in 2018 from 2017 to $468.8 billion, said the Semiconductor Industry Association Monday. Q4 shipments increased 0.6 percent to $114.7 billion, but declined 8.2 percent sequentially from Q3, said SIA. “Global demand for semiconductors reached a new high in 2018, with annual sales hitting a high-water mark and total units shipped topping 1 trillion for the first time.” Though market growth slowed in 2018's second half, the industry’s “long-term outlook remains strong,” it said. Memory was the industry’s largest 2018 category, sales growing 27.4 percent to $158 billion in 2018, including a 36.4 percent increase in shipments of DRAM products, it said. Despite the Chinese economic slowdown, China led all regions in semiconductor market growth, with monetary shipments there increasing 20.5 percent, said SIA. Shipments in the Americas jumped 16.4 percent, while Europe was up 12.1 percent, Japan 9.2 percent and Asia Pacific 6.1 percent. Apple and Samsung remained the world's top two semiconductor customers in 2018, with 17.9 percent collective total share, down 1.6 points from 2017, Gartner reported Monday. Huawei increased its chip spending by 45 percent, "jumping in front of Dell and Lenovo to the third spot," it said.