TrendForce：LED backlight application growth eases in June, manufacturers rush towards lighting market

The total revenue of Taiwanese listed LED manufacturers plunged to NTD 10.6 billion in June 2013, as the LED market was affected by declining demand for backlight application and stocktaking, according to LEDinside, a research subsidiary of industry research organization TrendForce. Revenue of listed LED chip manufacturers reached NTD 3.97 billion, while LED package manufacturers revenue grew to NTD6.63 billion.

Facing decreasing demands for backlight market, Taiwanese LED manufacturers have shifted focus to lighting products in hopes revenues can compensate for decreasing revenue from backlight market. Taiwanese companies including Epistar, Everlight, and Lextar have become ODMs or OEMs for major international lighting brands to fill a vacancy of utilization rate. Besides increasing utilization rate, companies will need to focus on profitable products that are sophisticated, offer more differentiation to break free from competitive OEM pricing war.

Backlight market growth slows down in second half of 2013

WitsView, a monitor research subsidiary of Trendforce, has lowered its TV shipment estimations made earlier this year from 215.5 million to 208.8 million in 2013, with annual growth rate reaching only 1.1%. The main reasons behind the reassessment include uncertain global economic outlook, especially with the European market’s weak performance. Secondly, with the termination of the Chinese government’s energy saving subsidies policies, the Chinese TV shipment growth has abated. Thirdly, as demand for larger television sizes increases, TV shipment volume has dropped. For the first half of 2013, the LED-backlit TV market’s stock up effect lasted till the end of May, hence the market can only hope that sales can exceed expected targets in the second half of this year.

Small/mid power LED demand for interior lighting soars; release of LED street light bidding at end the of 2013 to drive demand for high power LED products

There is high demand for small/mid power LEDs for interior lighting, whether its light tubes for commercial lighting, or directional lighting products, such as PAR lamps, downlight or AR111, according to observations made by LEDinside. Major manufacturers, such as Samsung and Nichia’s small/mid power lights, especially at warm white color temperature encountered inventory shortage during the second quarter of 2013. LED package manufacturers have been promoting new products with better specifications, luminous efficacy, and CRI to meet market demands in the second half of 2013. The products are currently in the sampling phase. Once the products are launched, it is estimated fall in LED package prices will become more evident in third quarter of 2013. As for high power LED market, the demand is expected to be driven by Chinese governments’ LED street light biddings in the second half of 2013. LEDinside estimates the LED package market value for the lighting application will reach US$2.98 billion in 2013 as a result of these changes.