Japan's Murata says tech downturn ending with China's 5G investment

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20191016 Murata Manufacturing CEO Tsuneo Murata

Tsuneo Murata, president of Murata Manufacturing speaks to Nikkei Asian Review at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)

MITSURU OBE, Nikkei staff writer

October 16, 2019 20:39 JST

TOKYO -- The electronic components market is bottoming out, Murata Manufacturing President Tsuneo Murata said Wednesday, suggesting that the industry may be emerging from a yearlong slowdown.

The Kyoto-based company is a major supplier of electronic components for smartphones and automobiles, and is a bellwether for the sector. With major customers including Apple, Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies, Murata has risen on the back of rapid growth of smartphones around the world.