Semiconductor Sales Drop Worldwide

Worldwide sales of semiconductors fell 2.4% in February from January, to $10.4 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Assn. said. Sales declined slightly in four major markets, with the largest drop in Japan, where sales fell by 4.4%, in part because of a 3% rise in the value of the dollar to the Japanese yen, San Jose-based SIA said. February’s sales totals were 15.5% below the same period in 1996. In North and South America, February billings approached $3.41 billion, down 0.6% from January. Sales in the Asia-Pacific region fell 3.9% to $2.17 billion, and European sales dipped 1.1% to $2.24 billion.