Korea Semiconductor Equipment Imports Surge 28% MoM in May, ASML Sales Seen Doubling

According to Bernstein, Korea's semiconductor equipment imports from the Netherlands surged 28% month-over-month in May to €928 million, nearly doubling year-over-year to reach a second-highest level on record. The investment bank estimates ASML's second-quarter Korea system sales at approximately €2.31 billion, more than doubling year-over-year, driven by DRAM capacity expansion and advanced node adoption.

Test equipment showed similar momentum, with Korea's semiconductor test machine imports jumping 103% year-over-year in May. Bernstein's model projects Advantest's second-quarter Korea sales could grow 84% month-over-month, significantly above market expectations of 3% overall revenue growth. However, Tokyo Electron saw a divergent trend, with related equipment imports declining 27% month-over-month, and the firm's second-quarter Korea sales estimated to drop 15% against market expectations of flat growth.