North American PCB industry growth continues to strengthen

Total North American PCB shipments in November 2017 were up 4.0 percent compared to the same month last year, writes industry association IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries. This year to date, shipments are 2.3 percent below the same period last year. Compared to the preceding month, November shipments increased 0.4 percent. PCB bookings in November increased 15.8 percent year-on-year, raising year-to-date order growth to 5.7 percent above the same period last year. Bookings in November were down 3.8 percent compared to the previous month. "The North American PCB industry’s recovery continued in November and is becoming more robust, with positive year-on-year sales growth for the third consecutive month and strengthening growth rates. The outlook is also positive, based on strong order growth in recent months, and on PCB book-to-bill ratios above parity (1.0) for 10 consecutive months. Although the book-to-bill ratio has been retreating from a 12-year high in August, due to growth in sales, it remains strong, indicating a likelihood of continued sales growth in the coming months", said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research.