Semiconductor sales hit $403.3 billion in Q2 2026 amid U.S. chip export probe

Global semiconductor sales reached $403.3 billion in the second quarter of 2026, marking a 35.1% increase from the first quarter. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, June 2026 alone saw sales of $134.5 billion, a 123.6% increase compared to the previous year. SIA President and CEO John Neuffer stated that global chip sales are expected to exceed $1.5 trillion by the end of the year.

Regional growth in June was significant, with the Americas seeing a 160.9% year-over-year increase, the Asia Pacific region 124.4%, and China 112.8%. However, industry analysts note potential vulnerabilities, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) demand absorbing capacity from traditional DRAM and the possibility of a slowdown in AI infrastructure spending by major cloud operators.

Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of Commerce has launched an investigation into how Chinese artificial intelligence companies may be bypassing export restrictions to access advanced Nvidia processors. The probe focuses on indirect access methods, such as renting computing capacity located in third-party countries, following technological results that suggest high-end U.S. hardware is being utilized despite existing controls.