According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) trade group March chip sales totaled $26.1 billion on a three-month average basis, up 0.3% compared with February.

Total first quarter chip sales totaled just $78.3 billion, down 5.5 per cent  compared to the fourth quarter of 2015 and down 5.8 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2015.

John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO, in a statement that while global semiconductor sales increased in March for the first time in five months, soft demand, market cyclicality, and macroeconomic conditions continue to impede more robust growth.

First quarter sales declined sequentially in nearly all regions, with the Americas showing the sharpest decline.

March sales improved over February by 4.8 per cent in Japan, 2.3 per cent  in the Asia-Pacific region and 0.1 per cent in Europe. Sales declined by 1.1 per cent  sequentially in China and 2.8 per cent  in the Americas.

Sales for March increased in Japan and compared to March 2015, but decreased significantly in Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region, the SIA said. Sales in the Americas were down nearly 16 per cent compared to March 2015.