The global chip industry achieved a record year of revenues in 2004 despite an end-of-year slowdown, an industry survey found on Monday. Total revenues from the world's semiconductor makers rose 28 percent to $213 billion, shattering the previous record in 2000 when the technology bubble pushed sales to around $200 billion, the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) group found.

The WSTS is an alliance of the world's main chip makers, representing 85 percent of global sales.

But global chip sales fell in December compared with November as last year's expansion slowed in the fourth quarter due to inventories and pricing pressure.

December sales totalled $18.37 billion, 3.5 percent lower than in November, but still up 14.6 percent compared with the same month a year earlier. Looking at year-on-year comparisons, December growth was well below the 28 percent increase for the year as a whole.

Copyright Reuters, 2005