Semiconductor equipment manufacturers worldwide logged sales of $59.8 billion in 2019, a 7% drop from the all-time high of $64.5 billion in 2018, SEMI, the industry association representing the worldwide electronics product design and manufacturing supply chain, reported. 

The data is now available in the Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report.

Taiwan claimed the largest market for new semiconductor equipment last year with sales of $17.12 billion after a 68% growth surge, dislodging Korea from the top spot. 

China maintained its position as the second-largest equipment market with sales of $13.45 billion, followed by Korea, at $9.97 billion, after receipts fell 44%. While the new equipment markets in Japan, Europe, and Rest of World contracted, North America equipment sales jumped 40% to $8.15 billion in 2019, the region’s third consecutive annual increase. 

Global sales of wafer processing equipment fell 6% in 2019, while other front-end segment sales grew 9%. Assembly and packaging along with test equipment sales also faltered, declining 27% and 11%, respectively, while sales to China rose across all major equipment segments except for assembly and packaging.

Compiled from data submitted by members of SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), the Worldwide SEMS Report is a summary of the monthly billings figures for the global semiconductor equipment industry. 

Categories cover wafer processing, assembly and packaging, test, and other front-end equipment. Other front-end includes mask/reticle manufacturing, wafer manufacturing, and fab facilities equipment.
 

Annual Billings by Region in Billions of U.S. Dollars with Year-Over-Year Rates 

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org) and  SEAJ (www.seaj.or.jp), April 2020