Trade group SEMI said global semiconductor equipment sales reached $36.55
billion in Q1 2026, up 1% QoQ and 14% YoY, a single‑quarter record. South Korea
overtook Taiwan as the second‑largest regional market. SEMI said the market
gains were driven by AI‑related capex, with spending focused on advanced logic,
DRAM and advanced packaging as firms expand capacity and upgrade technology.