TOKYO – Equipment sales this year are expected to be $30.91 billion, says SEMI.

The company’s forecast indicates, following 5.7% market growth in 2007, the equipment market will decline almost 28% in 2008.

SEMI expects the market to decline about 21% in 2009, and then post almost 31% growth in 2010.

"Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales have declined to levels last seen in 2003, and we anticipate a second year of double-digit decline in 2009," said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. "Impaired or nonexistent business trend visibility is pervasive amidst the deteriorating global economy. Therefore, our outlook for 2010 is based on patterns of previous industry recoveries."

Wafer processing equipment, the largest product segment by dollar value, is expected to decline about 28% in 2008 to $22.95 billion. Survey respondents anticipate the market for assembly and packaging equipment will decline almost 24% to $2.16 billion this year. The market for equipment to test semiconductors is expected to decline about 27% to $3.69 billion.

The Japanese market is projected to decline about 20%, but will surpass Taiwan to become the leading region for sales of new equipment, says the firm.

South Korea is expected to decline about 28% in 2008, and sales of new equipment in China will decline 35%, while the rest-of-world market regions will decline about 10%.