High-tech market to decline this year. - In 2014, the global consumer electronics market is expected to shrink by 1% to USD 1.055 trillion, according to figures from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). In 2013, it grew by 3%, but shrank compared with the record highs of 2011, when the market grew by 13% to a total of USD 1.041 trillion. The forecast shrinkage is due to the less profitable tablets and smartphones that are leading the market. The CEA expects 340 million tablets to be sold around the world in 2014, compared with 242 million in 2013, with smartphone sales reaching 1.21 billion in 2014, up 20% on 2013, but with the average price per phone falling from USD 345 to USD 297. Boosted by innovations like Ultra HD and bent screens, television sales are expected to rise by 2%, but this technology is marginal for the moment, with sales expecting to hit 8.7 million in 2014 out of total sales of 247 million. Emerging economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America will see sales rise by only 2%, which will not compensate for the 4% fall expected in the developed world. Retails sales will shrink by 6% in Western Europe and 1% in the United States. Local brands do well in Asia in general and China in particular, and sales are expected to rise by just 1%, following a 15% leap in 2013. This means that China will become the world's biggest consumer electronics market. Forecasts by consultants Gartner are more optimistic. It expects a 4.3% rise in global high tech sales in 2014 (including PCs, Ultrabooks, mobile phones and tablets, but not including televisions) to a total of USD 697 million. If one adds IT and telecoms services, business software and data centres, it says high tech growth will be to the order of 3.1%, worth a total of USD 3.77 billion. (IL)