Malaysia Leads, Vietnam Surges: 2024 U.S. Semiconductor Import Rankings

The semiconductor industry experienced significant changes in 2024. Malaysia maintained its position as the top exporter to the United States.

However, its market share declined over the past decade. Taiwan strengthened its second-place standing with a 27% year-over-year growth in exports.

Vietnam emerged as a major player, climbing to third place. The country’s semiconductor exports to the U.S. grew by an impressive 30.9%.

This rise reflected Vietnam‘s increasing attractiveness for semiconductor investments from global companies. Israel made a remarkable leap in the rankings.

Its semiconductor exports to the U.S. surged by 118.8% year-over-year. This growth highlighted Israel’s strengths in chip design and specialized semiconductors.

Japan’s position in the rankings declined significantly. Once fifth, it now occupies the eighth spot. This drop underscored the challenges faced by Japan’s semiconductor industry in recent years.

Mexico moved up one position to ninth place. Its exports grew by 72% over the past decade. However, Mexico’s market share remains relatively small compared to the leading exporters.

Semiconductor Market Surge

The global semiconductor market showed strong recovery signs in 2024. The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) projected a 16% growth for the year. This increase would bring the market value to $611 billion.

Two integrated circuit categories drove this growth. Logic chips were expected to grow by 10.7%. Memory chips showed even stronger performance with a projected 76.8% increase.

In addition, regional differences in growth patterns emerged. The Americas and Asia Pacific regions led with projected increases of 25.1% and 17.5% respectively.

Europe showed marginal growth at 0.5%. Japan faced a slight decline of 1.1%. The industry’s future outlook remains positive.

WSTS forecasts a 12.5% growth in 2025, potentially reaching $687 billion. Memory and Logic sectors are expected to surpass $200 billion each. These shifts reflect broader changes in the global semiconductor landscape.

Factors such as geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and technological advancements played crucial roles. The industry continues to adapt to these challenges while pursuing innovation and growth.

As of the first eight months of 2024, the top exporters of semiconductors to the U.S. were:

• Malaysia: $8.24 billion (down 2.9% year-over-year)
• Taiwan: $6.95 billion (up 27%)
• Vietnam: $5.52 billion (up 30.9%)
• Thailand: $3.50 billion (down 13.3%)
• Israel: $2.87 billion (up 118.8%)
• South Korea
• Philippines
• Japan
• Mexico: $1.25 billion
• Singapore