Sony chip unit sees limited impact from recent export curbs to China

SONY Group’s semiconductor division will likely see a limited impact from chip export curbs to China by the United States, Japan and the Netherlands, Sony Semiconductor Solutions chief executive Terushi Shimizu said on Thursday (Feb 16).

Sony is the world’s largest maker of image sensors widely used in smartphones and autos. Its competitors include South Korea’s Samsung Electronics.

Shipments of Sony’s security camera-related products could be affected by export curbs introduced by the United States in October, Shimizu told Reuters, adding that negative impact to its sales will likely exceed 1 billion yen (S$10 million), but below 10 billion yen, or less than 1 per cent of the unit’s total revenue.

“It will only be a tiny bit.”

The chip division expects total sales to come to 1.42 trillion yen for the year ending Mar 31, 2023.

Shimizu said the company’s microchip operations will likely be little affected by concerted export curbs to China agreed in January among the United States, Japan and the Netherlands as the division does not generally handle cutting-edge chips.

The chip unit’s chief executive added that global mobile phone demand will likely recover from the second half of 2023.

“We are a maker of sensors ... I believe demand for those finished products will be making a gradual recovery, although there are substantial inventories as well,” Shimizu said.

Global smartphone shipments fell 18.3 per cent from a year earlier to 300 million units in the October-December period, according to research firm IDC. REUTERS