SEMI: China's wafer fab equipment spending this year is $17.5 billion, down 30% year-on-year

According to SEMI (Semiconductor Industry Association), global spending on fab equipment for front-end facilities is expected to increase 18% year-on-year and reach an all-time high of $107 billion in 2022. This will also mark the third consecutive year of growth after a 42% increase in 2021.

"Global fab equipment spending surpassed the $100 billion mark for the first time, marking a historic milestone for the semiconductor industry," said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI, in a press release.

Taiwan is expected to lead fab equipment spending in 2022. SEMI said Taiwan's investment is expected to increase 56% year-on-year to $35 billion, followed by South Korea at $26 billion, up 9%, while China will spend $17.5 billion, down 30% from last year's peak.

The Europe/Middle East region is expected to see record spending this year at $9.6 billion, which, while relatively small, is a staggering 248% year-over-year increase.