The Asian semiconductor industry appears to remain in the doldrums. A 32.1% slide in exports of chips from South Korea in October has offset increasing exports from China, Japan and Taiwan. As a result total exports from the four fell by 6.3% year over year. That followed a 6.6% drop in September. The decline in semiconductor shipments has dragged on overall regional export growth. A 3.4% slide in exports from 15 Asian countries in September has been followed by an average 3.3% drop among 9 countries that have already reported October figures.