As sales of equipment from Japanese suppliers sank, orders rose slightly for the month of October, according to the latest report from the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ). Worldwide orders from Japanese equipment makers totaled 180.8 billion yen (US$1.6 billion) for October, up 1.7% from September’s 177.7 billion yen, but an increase of 50.4% over the same period last year. Within the Japanese market, worldwide orders totaled 95.9 billion yen, down 23.7% from September’s 118.7 billion yen, but an increase of 83% compared to last year’s figure.

Worldwide equipment sales for Japanese makers were at an all-time low since July, down 59.8% for the month of October, says the SEAJ. Sales totaled 130.1 billion yen (US$1.15 billion) compared to 207.9 billion yen in September. But that number is up more than 93% compared to last year’s 67.2 billion yen. Japanese equipment sales totaled 74.9 billion yen, a decrease of 32.7% from September’s 99.4 billion yen, although that number is a hike of 84% from the same period last year.

Similarly, North American equipment manufacturers saw a decline in both bookings and shipments for the month of November, according to SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International). In its monthly report, SEMI said November shipments reached $2.44 billion, a decrease of 5% or $130 million compared to October’s revised figure of $2.57 billion, but 60% higher than November 1999’s $1.53 billion.

Meanwhile, worldwide bookings totaled $2.74 for the month of November, 8% below October’s revised figure of $2.99 billion, but 62% above the $1.7 billion in orders posted for the same period last year. For November, the book-to-bill ratio was 1.12. All figures are three-month moving averages.

“A decline in orders and shipments has been widely anticipated given the record-breaking activity over the past year and the industry momentum that has been sustained since September 1998,” said Stanley Meyers, president of SEMI.

-Christina Bruns