International chip manufacturers stole 33.3% of Japan’s integrated chip market in 1997, according to the US Semiconductor Industry Association. The main driving force behind the trend, which was consistent across all quarters, is being attributed to an increase in the sale of foreign microprocessors. While IC market share decreased, shipments in Japan of mid-range computers increased in terms of units and value in fiscal 1997. Shipments for the period to March 1998 rose 10% to 140,617 units, while the value increased 2% to $5.1 bn, according to the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association. The association also revealed that shipments of workstations in the year fell 7% on the previous year, and their value declined 10% to $2.2 bn over the year.
