SINGAPORE – Singapore's exports to the US fell 44.4% year-over-year in February, pulling the nation's shipments down 24%.

Weak demand for electronics was among the reasons cited for the drop. Electronics exports dropped 31.9% to S$3.5 billion.

Shipments to the country's 10 top trading partners were down, except China. Sales to US customers dropped to US$673 million, but the percentage drop actually climbed slightly from a 50% plunge in January. Shipments to the European Union fell 36.7%, and sales to Japan dropped 38.9%.

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HELSINKI – Nokia said it would cut up to 1,700 jobs, or about 1.3% of the company’s work force, in response to sluggish demand and the poor outlook for near-term recovery.

The company said the cuts will come in its device and media segments, plus corporate development and global support.

Cellphone sales were down 5% to 315 million cellphones in the fourth quarter, Gartner reported, and grew 2% sequentially despite the holiday buying season.

TEDDINGTON, UK – National Physical Laboratory scientists are researching what use of Pb-free solder alloys could mean for tin pest and tin whiskers.

NPL has been studying the allotropic phase transformation in tin and its alloys, commonly known as tin pest, to measure the implications of adopting Pb-free solder manufacturing practices.

The firm has received funding from the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform. It seeks industry support for the work on the order of £5,200 per company for the 14-month project. 

Also, NPL has developed a measurement system and test method to assess the ability of different conformal coatings to stop or slow down tin whisker growth. The method can help conformal coating suppliers modify coatings to inhibit whisker initiation, growth and penetration for electronics.