Worldwide sales of semiconductor-manufacturing equipment dropped 18.8% year over year to $1.7bn in May, the ninth consecutive month of decline, according to the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan and the Semiconductor Equipment and Material Association International. However, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, US sales rose for the second straight month. The steepest fall (92.7%) was recorded in South Korea, while sales in Japan fell 42.4%. European sales declined 24.3%, and those to other markets, including Taiwan, decreased 8.1%. North American sales increased 9.3%, with revenue of wafer processing equipment up 9.8%.
