The United States of America are first on the podium both inside the ranking of producers and in that of consumers. In the first, however, Japan and China are gradually eroding the United States primacy.
Benno Scharf
The United States of America are the main producer and at the same time the most important consumer of electronic components worldwide, preceding by production the other leader Countries, that’s to say Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Various statistical sources survey the trend of this very important market; these surveys are unfortunately carried out with different criteria and therefore the resulting data are notably different one another. Classifications are in fact inhomogeneous and in particular, while definitions are quite univocal for the category of semiconductors, it is not possible to say the same thing for the so-called “others”. This item is for instance missing in the classifications of various Countries and it sometimes includes interconnections, which in the United States of America form on the contrary a group apart. The reported table is based on the official data of the trade association Eia. Other estimates are anyway common in the sector press.
Production and consumption
A small change, which occurred in the course of the last two years, is that, as far as the production sector is concerned, Japan and China are gradually eroding the United States primacy.
In any case, in 2012 the United States produced about one fourth of components on their whole and 24 % of semiconductors. Considered alone, in terms of consumption they represent 18% of the world total and 16% of semiconductors.
In comparison with 2010, the Country’s production grew by 8.4% while the consumption rise was by 7.5%. A parallel development, then, almost completely concentrated in 2011, whereas 2012 was essentially a stagnation year.
Semiconductors are and remain, like in almost all nations, the main category: they represent 69% of the production and a good 64% of the consumption. Among them, in 2012 printed circuits represent almost 76%, followed by optoelectronic with 14%, while the remaining 10% is subdivided between sensors and discrete.
THE MARKET OF COMPONENTS IN THE UNITED STATES OF America IN 2012 (BILLION DollarS)
[table id=2 /]Source: EIA – Electronic Industries Association
