Asia Rebound Boosts Chip Sales in May

Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose to $11.28 billion in May, up 11.8% from a year earlier, boosted by sharp growth in Asia, the Semiconductor Industry Assn. reported. “May’s global sales numbers are a clear indication of the positive and solid growth of our industry,” said George Scalise, president of the San Jose-based trade group. Semiconductor sales in the Asia-Pacific region rose nearly 18% in May versus a year ago to $2.77 billion; Japanese sales were up 15.3% to $2.46 billion; European sales were up 3.2% to $2.41 billion; and sales in the Americas were up 11.2% to $3.64 billion, the trade group said. While year-to-year sales numbers showed double-digit growth, there were slight but steady increases in most markets from April to May this year, the trade group said.