Integrated circuit designers feeling pressure amid high inventories
Integrated circuit designers feeling pressure amid high inventories
2022-09-06
Integrated circuit designers are facing mounting inventory pressure, amid lockdowns in China, high inflation, a slowing economy and reduced consumer demand. Reports say one chipmaker has already seen a slash in orders, and has reduced prices by up to 20%. So far, Taiwanese chipmaking giants such as TSMC, UMC and Vanguard International Semiconductor are keeping prices as they are. But experts say that could change in the first half of 2023.
People stand in long lines for a PCR test. COVID cases are on the rise in China, and places like Chengdu in Sichuan province have gone on lockdown, affecting local industry. Taiwan businesses with operations in China say pressure is on due to both internal and external factors. Amid high inventories, reports say orders at an integrated circuit designer have been drastically cut, resulting in price drops of up to 20%.
Ray Yang
ITRI Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center
Suppliers for brands, laptops and smartphones are seeing soaring inventories. Integrated circuit designers are feeling that to a certain extent. Of course, the impact on them is more intense than on Taiwanese silicon wafer suppliers.
High inflation, a slowing economy and low demand from consumers has resulted in high inventories of laptops and smartphones. Reports say a Chinese silicon wafer supplier lowered its prices back in July amid inventory pressure from downstream buyers. Though mature industry players often lower prices, upstream giants such as TSMC, UMC and Vanguard International Semiconductor say they won’t lower their prices this quarter. That’s due to their diverse clients, and high demand for car chips, as well as chips for large-scale machinery and data centers. But some experts say that amid slowing demand, it’s only a matter of time until upstream suppliers are affected.
Ray Yang
ITRI Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center
When will Taiwan chipmakers be affected? I think it shouldn’t happen until the first half of next year. It might not even be until the second quarter that the effects are more pronounced.
Laptop and smartphone inventories continue to soar. Already, in many industries one month of inventory has already turned to two months. That combined with concerns over a global recession, rising inflation and a hawkish Fed could all further send ripples across the semiconductor sector.
IC設計廠報價大跳水 代工三雄明年恐受衝擊
2022-09-06
受到中國封控、高通膨、不景氣以及消費電子需求持續下滑影響，IC設計廠面臨高庫存壓力，現在傳出訂單遭砍、價格下修，甚至報價跌幅達20%，儘管晶圓代工成熟製程價跌頻傳，不過代工三雄台積電、聯電、世界先進卻堅守不降價，專家說，高庫存壓力集中在下游，目前還沒燒到上游廠商，可能要到明年上半年才會比較明顯。
民眾大排長龍、接受核酸檢測，因為中國疫情升溫，四川成都又宣布封城，衝擊產業鏈，對台廠來說，無疑是內外夾擊，因為高庫存壓力正在燒，現在傳出IC設計廠訂單遭砍、價格下修，甚至報價跌幅達20%。
[[工研院產科策略發展所研究總監 楊瑞臨]]
“品牌以及筆電跟智慧手機的代工業者，現在看起來庫存有在飆高，相關一些IC設計業，所受到影響的程度跟感受度，當然遠遠要比台灣的晶圓代工業者來得高。”
高通膨、不景氣，加上消費電子需求疲弱，筆電、智慧手機高庫存籠罩，中國晶圓代工廠早在7月就已經傳出大幅降價，下游庫存壓力大。儘管晶圓代工成熟製程價跌頻傳，不過上游的代工三雄台積電、聯電、世界先進本季堅守不降價，因為客戶多元，目前車用晶片需求仍高，還有大型工業機具、資料中心等需求，但外界擔心，在需求持續下滑之下，燒到上游是遲早的事。
[[工研院產科策略發展所研究總監 楊瑞臨]]
“什麼時候會影響到台灣晶圓代工業，我覺得要等到明年上半年，甚至可能明年的第二季，才會比較更明朗。”
筆電及智慧手機的庫存量持續飆高，從原本庫存1個月，拉長到2個月，加上全球經濟衰退隱憂、通膨、美國聯準會鷹派升息，也讓半導體產業恐蒙上陰影。
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