Figures from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) say that worldwide sales of semiconductors totalled $96.8 billion during the first quarter of 2019, a decrease of 15.5 per cent  over the previous quarter and 13 per cent  less than the first quarter of 2018.

Global sales for March 2019 were $32.3 billion, a dip of 1.8 per cent  compared to the previous month's total and 13 per cent  less than sales from March 2018, SIA said.

Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organisation and represent a three-month moving average.

SIA president and CEO John Neuffer said that global semiconductor sales slowed during the first quarter of 2019, falling short of the previous quarter and Q1 of last year by double-digit percentages.

"Sales in March decreased on a year-to-year basis across all major regional markets and semiconductor product categories, consistent with the cyclical trend the global market has experienced recently."

Regionally, sales increased slightly on a month-to-month basis in China (1.3 per cent ) and Europe (0.6 per cent ), but decreased in Asia Pacific/All Other (-1.9 per cent ), Japan (-4.5 per cent ), and the Americas (-6.7 per cent ). On a year-to-year basis, sales were down across all regional markets: Europe (-6.8 per cent ), Asia Pacific/All Other (-9.3 per cent ), China (-9.4 per cent ), Japan (-11.1 per cent ), and the Americas (-26.6 per cent ).