Sony Group Corp’s semiconductor division will probably see a restricted influence from chip export curbs to China by the USA, Japan and the Netherlands, Sony Semiconductor Options Chief Govt Terushi Shimizu mentioned.
Sony is the world’s largest maker of picture sensors broadly utilized in smartphones and autos. Its rivals embody South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
America introduced sweeping curbs on semiconductor exports to China in October final yr to sluggish Beijing’s technological and navy advances. The Netherlands and Japan final month additionally agreed on chip-related export restrictions, though no particulars can be found.
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Shipments of Sony’s safety camera-related merchandise might be affected by the U.S. export curbs, Shimizu advised Reuters, however “it should solely be a tiny bit”.
The damaging influence to its gross sales will probably exceed one billion yen ($7.47 million), however be beneath 10 billion yen, or lower than 1 % of the unit’s whole income.
The chip division expects whole gross sales to return to 1.42 trillion yen for the yr ending March 31, 2023.
Shimizu mentioned the corporate’s microchip operations will likely be little affected by the broader curbs, because the division doesn’t typically deal with cutting-edge chips.
The chip unit’s chief govt additionally mentioned that smartphone demand will probably get well from the second half of 2023.
World smartphone shipments hit 1.2 billion items in 2022, the bottom since 2013, in line with analysis agency IDC.
Sony’s chip division is investing $500 million in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co‘s (TSMC) chip-making subsidiary, a step aimed toward securing a secure provide of logic chips used to fabricate picture sensors.
The subsidiary’s $8.6-billion plant in Japan is slated to start out output by the top of 2024, and TSMC mentioned final month it was contemplating constructing a second plant in Japan.
“We have now not heard from them on when this second section will likely be launched. However the truth that they’ve made such a remark for folks exterior the corporate might imply they’ve began taking some motion,” Shimizu mentioned.
Sony’s semiconductor division posted file gross sales and working revenue in October-December, helped by sturdy demand for picture sensors and a softer yen.
Shimizu mentioned the division was “largely on monitor” to realize a 60 % market share within the world picture sensor market by the yr to March 2026, up from 43 % within the yr to March 2022.
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