Chip Sales Rise

Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose 14% to $11.2 billion in June from the same month a year ago, led by surging demand in Japan and the rest of Asia, the Semiconductor Industry Assn. said. Sales were down slightly from $11.3 billion in May. Sales in Asia, excluding Japan, rose 23% from a year ago to $2.77 billion, while sales in Japan surged 20% to $2.46 billion, the SIA said. Global sales of computer chips and other semiconductors are expected to rise 12% this year, led by products used in phones and networks as well as applications related to the Internet. Recovering economies in Asia and Japan are helping to buoy the industry, with sales in those markets rising at least 20% in June.