Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, reported a 7.5% drop in its November sales, totaling NT$206 billion ($6.6 billion). This decline also reflects a 4.1% decrease compared to the company’s sales figures from the previous year.

The semiconductor industry has been facing challenges due to economic headwinds and geopolitical tensions. TSMC’s CEO, C.C Wei, has expressed concern about the near-term market outlook, citing China’s economic instability and ongoing trade issues with the United States as factors that could hinder a swift recovery. Despite these concerns, TSMC has estimated its fourth-quarter sales to be in the range of $18.8 to $19.6 billion.

The broader industry, including major players such as Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) Co., Lenovo Group (OTC:LNVGY) Ltd., and TSMC, is showing signs of stabilization after addressing the oversupply caused by pandemic-induced demand surges. TSMC’s advanced nodes remain vital for the production of cutting-edge AI chips like AMD’s MI300. In response to the escalating demand for AI technologies, AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) has recently doubled its AI sector forecast, now projecting it to grow to over $400 billion within the next four years.