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IPC: Shipments down in January
Total North American PCB shipments were down 1.1 percent in January 2013 from January 2012, and bookings decreased 4.0 percent year over year.
Month-to-month growth rates are not available in January due to the change in IPC’s survey sample as of the first of the year. The book-to-bill ratio for the North American PCB industry crossed into positive territory in January and stands at 1.01, writes industry association IPC.
“The book-to-bill ratio for the North American PCB industry strengthened for the second consecutive month, turning the corner in December after an eight-month downturn,” according to Sharon Starr, IPC director of market research. “Sales and orders, however, remained sluggish in January.”