The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and design, today announced that worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $25.87 billion for the month of August 2013, an increase of 6.4 percent compared to August 2012, marking the industry’s largest year-over-year growth since March 2011. Sales in the Americas increased by 23.3 percent compared to August 2012, while global sales in August were 1.3 percent higher than the previous month’s total of $25.53 billion. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“Global semiconductor sales have now increased for six consecutive months, and the industry is well ahead of last year’s pace, thanks largely to sustained growth in the Americas,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Strong demand for memory products has driven sales in recent months, but sales were also up in August among non-memory products, demonstrating the breadth of the semiconductor market’s strength.”

Regionally, August sales topped sales from the same month last year in the Americas (23.3 percent), Asia Pacific (7.6 percent), and Europe (5 percent), but decreased in Japan (-16.4 percent), in large part because of the devaluation of the Japanese yen. Sales in August were up across all regions compared to the previous month.

“Semiconductor sales have demonstrated increasing momentum in recent months, thanks in part to stabilizing macroeconomic conditions, but this week’s government shutdown and a looming debate over the nation’s debt limit threaten to destabilize the economy and disrupt growth,” said Toohey. “Congress and the Administration should work together to avoid these self-inflicted wounds and get America’s fiscal house in order.”