The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said on Thursday that Russia is a fairly small market for the industry and its invasion of Ukraine does not pose a threat to microchip supplies. “While the impact of the new rules on Russia may be significant, Russia is not a significant direct consumer of semiconductors, accounting for less than 0.1% of global chip purchases. In addition, the semiconductor industry has a wide range of suppliers of key materials and gases, so we do not believe that there are immediate risks of supply disruption associated with Russia and Ukraine,” said John Neuffer, CEO of SIA. Some manufacturers also said the concerns are exaggerated. So, Intel noted that they do not expect impact on their supply chains, since the company has different suppliers around the world.
A few days ago, semiconductor manufacturers expressed fear that the conflict in Ukraine could cause a new wave of chip shortages. This is due to the fact that both Russia and Ukraine are the world’s largest exporters of raw materials needed for their production, including natural gases and metals. Because of the sanctions imposed against Russia, there is a risk of denial of supplies to Russia of semiconductors and finished components with their use by different manufacturers.