Economics

Cooling Semiconductor Sales Heighten Fears of a Global Recession

  • Slowdown in semiconductors is longest since US-China trade war
  • Sales’ 3-month moving average correlates with global economy

Semiconductors are key components in a world that’s increasingly reliant on digital products and services, particularly during the pandemic when a lot of work and schooling was conducted remotely.

Photographer: Maurice Tsai/Bloomberg
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World chip sales growth has decelerated for six straight months -- yet another sign the global economy is straining under the weight of rising interest rates and mounting geopolitical risks.

Semiconductor sales rose 13.3% in June from a year earlier, down from 18% in May, data from the global peak industry body showed. The current slowdown is the longest since the US-China trade war in 2018.