KUALA LUMPUR: Global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment edged down 1.3% to US$106.3bil in 2023 from a record of US$107.6bil in 2022, according to US-based Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturers Industry (SEMI).

SEMI said China, Korea and Taiwan – the top three regions in chip equipment spending in 2023 – accounted for 72% of the global equipment market, with China remaining the largest semiconductor equipment market.

It said the pace of investments in China accelerated 29% year-over-year (YoY), reaching US$36.6bil in billings last year.

Meanwhile, equipment spending in Korea, the second-largest equipment market, fell 7% to US$19.9bil on softer demand and the memory market inventory correction.

After posting four straight years of growth, equipment sales to Taiwan also contracted 27% to US$19.6bil.

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North America saw a 15% increase in annual semiconductor equipment investments, driven mainly by the Chips and Science Act, while Europe recorded a 3% rise.

Sales to Japan declined by 5% YoY, while sales to the rest of the world decreased by 39%.

“Despite a slight dip in global equipment sales, the semiconductor industry continues to show strength, with strategic investments fueling growths in key regions,” SEMI President and CEO Ajit Manocha said in a statement.

“The overall results for the year were better than anticipated by most industry followers.”

In 2023, worldwide wafer processing equipment sales increased by 1%, and billings for other front-end segments grew by 10%.

However, assembly and packaging equipment sales continued their decline, dropping by 30% compared to 2022, and total test equipment billings contracted by 17% YoY.