PALO ALTO, U.S./TOKYO -- Spending this year on chipmaking equipment worldwide will fall greater than previously projected by a global industry group as concern about the world economy, fueled by China-U.S. trade friction, dampens investment in data centers.
SEMI, whose members include Applied Materials of the U.S. and Japan-based Tokyo Electron, said Tuesday it now expects sales to fall 18% this year to $52.7 billion, the first decline in four years. The organization initially projected an 8% decline to $59.6 billion. Its forecasts are watched closely as barometers of the digital economy.
