Worldwide sales of semiconductors came to US$25.3 billion in March 2011, up 2.5% from US$24.7 billion in February, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). Sales reached US$75.8 billion in the first quarter of the year, rising 0.4% on quarter.
On an annual basis, global chip sales for March and first-quarter 2011 were both up 8.6% compared to a year earlier, according to SIA.
"At the close of the first quarter of this year we are very encouraged by the performance of the global and domestic semiconductor industry," said Brian Toohey, president of SIA. "Now more than ever, it's clear that the semiconductor industry is a force driving the US economy forward and out of the recent recession."
Currently the industry is on track to outpace the growth forecasts of the US economy due to increased consumer and business demand for high-quality electronics products and the pervasive application of ICs throughout most industries, SIA said. Additionally, stabilization of infrastructure and ongoing recovery efforts in Japan have mitigated some of the impact that the mid-March natural disaster could have had on the semiconductor markets.