The Covid-19 pandemic and oil-market volatility drove the U.S. manufacturing index back into contraction territory in March, as the Institute for Supply Management’s PMI fell to 49.1 from 50.1 the prior month. With 50.0 as the line of demarcation between contraction and growth, new orders at 42.2 percent and employment, at 43.8, are at the…
The U.S. manufacturing index contracted for the fourth straight month in November — just as the Trump administration resurrected steel and aluminum tariffs on Argentina and Brazil. Global trade issues, according to the Institute for Supply Management, remain the top cross-industry concern for America’s manufacturers as the year ends. The ISM’s PMI dropped by 0.2…
Non-profit advocacy group Women in Electronics (WE) was formed in 2017 to empower women through networking opportunities; develop them through a virtual leadership program; and celebrate their successes along the way. The organization recently wrapped up its third annual leadership conference and now has 300 members. Jackie Mattox, founder and president of WE and national…
The U.S. Department of Commerce has again extended the temporary general license (TGL) allowing U.S. tech companies – such as Intel, Micron, Qualcomm and Xilinx — to sell components to Chinese networking giant Huawei Technologies. This is the third such extension since the U.S. government, citing security concerns, added Huawei to its “Entity List” in…
Yageo Corp.’s $1.8 billion acquisition of Kemet Corp. will unite two leading component makers into a $3 billion powerhouse in the interconnect, passives and electromechanical (IP&E) market. The move will expand both companies’ global footprint, market penetration and product portfolios. “Together with Yageo, we will have an enhanced global footprint and be better able to…
Global procurement professionals are facing more challenges than ever — tariffs, trade wars, environmental regulations and patent/IP protection. Fortunately, they are up to the task. Worldwide, electronics purchasing managers have an average of 16 years on the job, according to EPSNews’/Aspencore’s first global procurement study. They work more than 40 hours a week; spend a…
U.S. factory activity contracted for the third straight month in October as trade issues, the GM strike and global economic uncertainty plagued the market. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index registered 48.3 last month, up slightly from a 10-year low of 47.8 in September. New orders, employment and inventories all rose from September but…
Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles focusing on strategies that mitigate the impact of tariffs on imported goods. Tax and business advisory firm KPMG identified seven successful tactics in its webinar TradeWatch: Section 301 Tariffs; What we’ve Learned in Year One. This article covers recommendations four through seven. The U.S.-China trade war…
U.S. factory activity declined for the fourth straight month in July as weakening demand and ongoing trade anxiety weighed on manufacturers. The nation’s leading factory index, the PMI, fell to its lowest point since 2016, dropping by 0.5 percent to a level of 51.2. “This is the fourth straight month of PMI decline without any…
Editor’s note: This is one of two articles focusing on strategies that mitigate the impact of tariffs on imported goods. Tax and business advisory firm KPMG identified seven successful tactics in its webinar TradeWatch: Section 301 Tariffs; What we’ve Learned in Year One. This article covers recommendations one through three. Tariffs, according to leading tax…