Taiwan now No.1 biggest semiconductor equipment spender in world
Taiwan takes the No.1 spot in semiconductor equipment spending, bucking worldwide downturn
By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2019/06/05 15:09
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Taiwan was the biggest spender on semiconductor equipment in the first quarter of this year, bucking a worldwide downtrend in the industry, announced SEMI on Tuesday (May 4).
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings for the first quarter from Taiwan leaped from US$2.81 billion from the fourth quarter last year to US$3.81 billion in the first quarter this year, representing an increase of 36 percent, reported SEMI. This also represented a massive 68 percent increase from the US$2.27 billion in billings from Taiwan in the first quarter last year.
In the process, Taiwan pulled ahead of rival South Korea's US$2.89 billion, after it saw billings drop by 8 percent from the previous quarter and a year-on-year drop of 54 percent. China took third at US$2.36 billion, but also saw a 13 percent quarterly drop in billings and a year-on-year decline of 11 percent.
North America took fourth place at US$1.67 billion, after it too saw a quarterly dip of 14 percent and a year-on-year plunge of 47 percent. Fifth place Japan took a heavy hit as well, with only US$1.55 in billings for the first quarter, a massive fall of 41 percent from the previous quarter, and a year-on-year skid of 27 percent.
This bucked a global drop of semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings down to US$13.79 billion, a quarterly drop of 8 percent and a year-on-year plunge of 19 percent, based on data gathered by SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan from 80 global equipment suppliers.
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