North American PCB sales sluggish

Total North American PCB shipments in June 2017 were down 3.9 percent compared to the same month last year. This year to date, shipments are 4.2 percent below the same period last year. Compared to the preceding month, June shipments increased 12.3 percent. PCB bookings in June increased 18.6 percent year-on-year, driving year-to-date order growth up to 1.7 percent above the same period last year. Bookings in June were up 26.5 percent compared to the previous month. “June’s strong order growth and a five-month trend of book-to-bill ratios above parity (1.00) are possible indications of an upturn in North American PCB sales in the second half of this year,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “A turnaround in sales is likely to be modest, however, as order growth in the first half of 2017 is still just 1.7 percent above the same period last year, while sales since the beginning of this year have been consistently below last year’s levels,” she added.