Market Chatter: Top Japanese Chip Equipment Makers' China Sales Decline 10%
The top five manufacturers of chipmaking equipment in Japan reported a 10% decline in Chinese sales in the fiscal year ended March 31, amid China's push to promote its own chipmaking equipment manufacturers, Nikkei Asia reported Sunday.The combined sales of Tokyo Electron (TYO:8035), Advantest (TYO:6857), Screen Holdings (TYO:7735), Disco (TYO:6146), and Kokusai Electric (TYO:6525) fell 12% in fiscal 2025 from fiscal 2024 to 1.47 trillion yen, the report said.Tokyo Electron's sales of chipmaking equipment in China for the January-March quarter accounted for 27% of the total compared with 34% a year earlier and from 50% in April-June 2024. Sales of the equipment in China for Tokyo Electron, Screen Holdings, and Kokusai declined nearly 20% on-year, led by weakness in front-end chipmaking equipment sales, it said.The market leveled off after Chinese chipmakers boosted investment ahead of escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, while increasing competition from domestic suppliers took a toll on Japanese, U.S., and European equipment makers' sales, the report said.Shares of Tokyo Electron and Advantest added nearly 1%, Disco's shares added over 3%, Kokusai Electric's shares rose over 2%, while those of Screen Holdings added nearly 4% in Monday morning trade.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
