The US semiconductor market moved into the summer doldrums in May, with orders averaged over the three months to May 31 up just 0.2% on the figure for the three months to April, leaving a book-to-bill ratio still positive at 1.10 but down on the 1.12 revised figure for April – which was reported as 1.10 at the time. The Semiconductor Industry Association says that the 0.2% drop left the order figure for the three months to May at $1607.8m – still 17.6% higher than the same figure one year ago. Semiconductor shipments for May on the same three-month moving average increased 1.6% to $1,455.9m, which was up 12.9% on the May 1991 figure. Actual semiconductor shipments to the US market in May were $1,376.9m, down 0.2% on the April figure, but were 11.7% higher than the May 1991 figure. The figures are compiled by the San Jose, California-based lobby from a preliminary survey of key semiconductor manufacturers participating in the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics programme. One year ago the ratio was modestly to the good at 1.06, and was still above parity in June at 1.01, but between July and October was below 1.0, the nadir being the 0.94 ratio last September. It crept up to 1.01 for November, since when it has been up all the way apart from a blip down to 1.07 in March from February’s 1.11 figure.