BANNOCKBURN, IL – The forecast for North American PCB production is down for 2009, but shows growth resuming in 2010.
 
World production this year will decline 20% to $40.6 billion worldwide, says IPC. North American production is expected to end the current year at about 15% below 2008, but will start climbing in 2010.
 
North American PCB manufacturers managed to push sales growth in 2008 slightly above 2007 levels, despite declines in the market for PCBs and PCB production in North America, says the association.
 
According to an IPC report for 2008, the world market for PCBs reached an estimated $50.79 billion last year, up 1% from 2007. PCB production in North America, estimated at $4.11 billion, was down 6.5% from the previous year.
 
The North American market for flexible circuits declined almost 10% in 2008 to an estimated $441 million. This decline reflects the loss of some companies and the continued movement of end product manufacturing to other regions, according to IPC.
 
PCB manufacturers that remain active in North America, however, did better than the market in 2008. Rigid PCB manufacturers reported flat sales growth, and flexible circuit producers reported 17% sales growth in 2008, despite declines in both markets.