Japan's October Semiconductor Sales Down 17.1% YoY

The Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) unveiled preliminary data on October's semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales, indicating a 3.7% month-on-month decline, from ¥2,987.38 billion in September 2023 to ¥2,875.4 billion. This represents a 17.1% YoY decrease compared to October 2022 (¥3,470.54 billion).

October marks the fifth consecutive month of YoY contraction in Japan's semiconductor equipment sales, with monthly figures consistently below ¥3 trillion. While the decline is less pronounced than September 2023 (down 21.6%), it maintains a four-month streak of double-digit percentage drops.

For the cumulative period of January to October 2023, Japan's semiconductor equipment sales totaled ¥29,886.41 billion, reflecting a 6.9% YoY decrease from the same period in 2022 (¥32,096.08 billion). Despite this decline, the figure still stands as the second-highest historical level for this timeframe.

Furthermore, data on Flat-Panel Display (FPD) equipment reveals October sales of ¥14.459 billion, indicating a 5.4% MoM increase (compared to ¥13.718 billion in September 2023). However, there is a substantial 68.3% YoY decline from October 2022 (¥45.584 billion).