China Tops Global Semiconductor Equipment Market
According to a report released by the International Semiconductor Industry Association SEMI on Tuesday, the global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment surged in 2021, increasing by 44% from $71.2 billion in 2020, reaching a new record high of $102.6 billion. During this time, the Chinese mainland has once again become the largest semiconductor equipment market in the world.
SEMI pointed out that the expansion of the semiconductor industry is not only due to the imbalance between supply and demand in the field, but also comes from the continuously rapid development of the semiconductor industry to ensure a wide range of emerging high-tech applications.
Specifically, semiconductor sales in the Chinese mainland market reached $29.62 billion in 2021, up 58% year-on-year, accounting for a 28.9% share of the global market. The corresponding figure in Taiwan was $24.94 billion, a year-on-year increase of 45%.
2021 sales of semiconductor equipment in the South Korean market totaled $24.98 billion, a year-on-year increase of 55%. Sales in Japan’s semiconductor market were $7.8 billion, up 3% year-on-year.
Semiconductor sales in the North American market were $7.61 billion, a year-on-year increase of 17%. The European market saw sales totaling $3.25 billion, up 23% year-on-year. Sales in the rest of the world were $4.44 billion, up 79%.
In addition, sales of front-end equipment in 2021 also increased by 22%, while the global sales of packaging equipment increased by 87%. The sales volume of test equipment increased by 30%.
SEMI’s President and CEO Ajit Manocha said: “The 44% increase in manufacturing equipment spending in 2021 highlights the global semiconductor industry’s aggressive push to add capacity. This drive to expand production capabilities extends beyond the current supply imbalance, as the industry continues to ramp up to address a wide range of emerging high-tech applications that will enable a smarter digital world with countless social benefits.”
