SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Global sales of semiconductors grew 5.4 percent to $127.5 billion in the first half of 2008 propelled mostly by overseas demand, the Semiconductor Industry Association said Monday.
Sales in the second quarter were $64.7 billion, up 8 percent from a year ago and a stronger showing than the 3.8 percent increase posted in the first quarter. In June, the sales increase was 12 percent year over year excluding memory chips, which saw prices soften.
Increased energy costs have done little to dampen demand, the industry group said. Personal computers -- which account for about 40 percent of chips sold -- and cell phones, which account for 20 percent, continue to show strong sales.
"Emerging markets are a major factor in driving worldwide semiconductor sales," said SIA President George Scalise in a statement. "In 2008, developing countries -- with sales of over 153 million units -- will account for half of worldwide PC sales.
"The emergence of large middle-class populations in China, India, Eastern Europe, and Latin America has more than offset the effects of slower growth in the U.S. economy," he added.
