Worldwide semiconductor shipments were $123.1 billion in 1Q 2021, up 3.6% from 4Q 2020 and up 17.8% from a year ago, according to WSTS. The 3.6% quarter-to-quarter growth was the highest for a first quarter since 1Q 2010, eleven years ago. The strong growth in 1Q21 implies strong growth in the following quarters and for the year 2021.… Read More
Author: Bill Jewell
Supply Issues Limit 2021 Semiconductor Growth
Automakers to Blame for Semiconductor Shortage
Automakers worldwide have scaled back production due to a shortage of semiconductors. Companies which have announced temporary halts on production include Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Daimler (Mercedes) and Stellantis (merger of Fiat-Chrysler and Peugot).
IHS Markit estimates… Read More
Electronics Back Strongly in 2021
Electronics production has recovered strongly from slowdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most major Asian electronic producers reported double-digit increases in early 2021. The chart below shows three-month-average change versus a year ago for electronics production. The data is from each country’s official statistics… Read More
Semiconductors up 6.5% in 2020, >10% in 2021?
Semiconductor sales in 2020 were $439.0 billion, up 6.5% from $412.3 billion in 2019, according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS).
We at Semiconductor Intelligence have been tracking the accuracy of semiconductor market forecasts from various sources for several years. We look at publicly available projections… Read More
CES 2021 Goes All Digital
CES, the massive consumer technology show put on by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), was held this week. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, CES 2021 was all digital. Last year, CES 2020 had over 170,000 attendees from over 160 countries and 4,400 exhibiting companies.
CES 2020 was held January 7-10, 2020 in Las Vegas,… Read More
Semiconductor Boom in 2021
The third quarter 2020 semiconductor market totaled $114 billion, up 11.0% from second quarter 2020, according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS). The 3Q20 growth was the highest since 11.6% in 3Q16. The strong 3Q20 growth follows a 2.1% decline in 2Q20 versus 1Q20. The second quarter is normally a healthy growth … Read More
China Mobile and Computer Update 2020
Data on China production of mobile phones from the National Bureau of Statistics of China indicates a double-digit decline in the year 2020. In 1Q 2020, the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, China mobile phone production declined 50% from 4Q 2019 and dropped 33% from a year earlier. Many factories were temporarily closed in… Read More
Electronics Production Healthy
Global electronics production is healthy, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The chart below shows the three-month-average change versus a year ago (3/12 change) in electronics production (measured in local currency) for the major Asian producers. China is the largest electronics manufacturing country and the original source… Read More
Semiconductors Not as Bad as Expected!
In the early stages of the global COVID-19 pandemic, most forecasters expected the semiconductor market to decline in 2020, including our May Semiconductor Intelligence projection of a 6% drop. However, the semiconductor market has shown surprising strength so far this year. WSTS reported the 2Q 2020 semiconductor market … Read More
Semiconductors up in 2020? Not so fast
Two months ago most forecasts called for a decline in the semiconductor market in 2020 as reported in our Semiconductor Intelligence May 2020 newsletter. The outlook changed in June, as the Worldwide Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) consensus forecast projected 3.3% growth in 2020. This month IC Insights revised its IC
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