The global coronavirus has upended many of the metrics used to forecast supply, demand, economic activity and financial stability. Two electronics associations – the IPC and ECIA – report electronics markets are recovering, but forward momentum is decelerating. “The economy improved over the last month, but it is clear that momentum is slowing and future…
U.S. government approval of two trade deals this week has drawn favorable response from the electronics industry. Trade organizations applaud the USMCA agreement and characterize a “phase one” deal with China as a good first step. Here’s what the IPC said: “The electronics manufacturing industry welcomes the U.S.-China “phase one” trade deal being signed in…
IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® announced today the November 2019 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. Sales and orders in November were strong and continued to outpace last year. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.08. Total North American PCB shipments in November 2019 were up 17.2 percent compared to the…
The electronics industry is enjoying a short-term reprieve from new U.S. tariffs as the Trump administration delayed the imposition of 15 percent duties on $156 billion worth of Chinese goods, including smart phones, computers and other consumer electronics. While the move may boost holiday-related consumer sales, the 25 percent tariffs on a separate $250 billion…
Expectations for an upturn in electronics component demand have been pushed out to the second half of 2020, and the road to recovery passes directly through global trade policy, leading analysts say. The outlook for Q4 is grim as component demand deteriorates further, Morgan Stanley said in its Q3 distribution survey. “The narrative of a…
IPC’s 2019 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry, published last week, shows that the PCB industry in North America has turned a corner. For the first time in five years, domestic PCB production grew in 2018. North America’s PCB market also grew last year by nearly eight percent, solidifying the turnaround that began…
Editor’s note: Following the news of possible tariffs on goods imported from Mexico – and the ongoing trade war with China – EPSNews’ sister publication EBN reached out to a few friends and colleagues from the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) world to find out what they and their customers think of this thorny issue. This…
Editor’s note on Special Project U.S.-China Trade War Damages Done: A permanent trade war with China has already thrust the supply chain in a mad scramble. Procurement costs have increased; partnerships have been severed; and companies have been forced to relocate manufacturing. Still, some companies see the conflict as a path toward differentiation President Trump’s…
Responding to industry demand and member feedback, IPC created a new certification for company subject matter experts on IPC Standards. Companies need staff that understand IPC Standards at a deep level. The Certified Standards Expert (CSE) will possess a high level of expertise and serve as an in-house expert on IPC Standards. A CSE is…
Even as the electronics industry roared through 2017 and 2018, manufacturers bemoaned a lack of skilled labor. It’s been a recurrent theme in the Institute for Supply Management’s monthly factory index, and now the European Union (EU) fears its workforce will be stressed as electronics employment grows. A shortage of skilled workers is the industry’s…