Surpluses of components in certain market sectors will in no way contribute to solving the problems of automakers with access to the required range of components this year, according to analysts polled by the Nikkei Asian Review. At the same time, the shortage of automotive components will continue until the end of the year, while other market segments will have to solve problems with overstocking of warehouses.

A survey of a dozen industry analysts and market participants showed that "distortions" in the segment of semiconductor components will not be eliminated until the end of the year, although progress in some areas will be noticeable already in the current quarter. The easiest way to deal with the overproduction of chips in the data center segment. So far, further growth in demand from buyers of such systems is constrained by macroeconomic uncertainty that prevents server giants from maintaining decent advertising revenue.

Personal computers also suffered from overstocking, but the acute phase of the crisis will have to pass in the third quarter, after which there will be an improvement. In the smartphone segment, this will happen at least a quarter later. The automotive segment is heavily reliant on mature lithography production facilities, and expansion is the last and least enthusiastic investment by manufacturers. All this makes it difficult to saturate the automotive market with the necessary semiconductor components. In parallel, the percentage of chips in the average car is increasing, since the transition to electric traction is added to the trend of equipping cars with all kinds of electronic assistants. One electric car contains, on average, semiconductor components worth up to $1,600, while for cars with internal combustion engines this figure is limited to $500.

In the automotive segment, there is still a shortage of power electronics and analog components. Most likely, the problems in this sector will not be completely eliminated until the very end of this year. Some major automakers share similar concerns.