August 29, 2024 /SemiMedia/ — The Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) announced on August 27 that Japan's chip manufacturing equipment sales surged 23.6% year-on-year in July, reaching 348.09 billion yen, marking the seventh consecutive month of growth. Compared to June 2024, exports in July rose by 1.2%, marking the eighth increase in the last nine months.

From January to July 2024, Japan’s chip equipment sales totaled 2.48 trillion yen, up 16.7% from the same period last year, setting a new record and surpassing the 2.13 trillion yen recorded in 2022. Japan holds around 30% of the global chip equipment market, ranking second worldwide after the United States.

According to a mid-year report from the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales are expected to reach a record $109 billion this year, up 3.4%, with continued growth projected for 2025, reaching $128 billion. The wafer processing, fab facilities, and mask equipment sectors are expected to grow 2.8% this year to $98 billion, exceeding SEMI's previous forecast of $93 billion.