The association said chip sales should total $143 billion for all of 2002.

In 2006, chip sales will rise 7 percent, to $204.9 billion, a bit higher than in 2000.

Global chip sales will reach $214 billion this year, up 28 percent from 2003, the trade group estimated.

"We thought chip sales would pick up earlier, but that's not the case."

He predicted that chip sales would decline 5 percent in 2002.

In 2000, spurred by demand for all things Internet, chip sales soared 37 percent.

Instead of growing by 6 percent, he said, chip sales will most likely be flat to down 2 percent.

She said chip sales, for example, fell in half when her schools switched from fried to baked.

The trade association said chip sales would grow by 19.4 percent in 2004, for total sales next year of $194.6 billion.

Now chip sales in Japan are beginning to collapse as well.