BANNOCKBURN, IL – An estimated one-third of all printed circuit boards for US defense or military systems are produced outside North America, according to recent IPC data.

Market analysis prepared for the US Air Force pegs the value of the US military market for PCBs between $1.05 billion and $1.23 billion.

Depending on the market size estimate used, between 27% and 39% of all PCBs in products sold to the US military are manufactured outside North America, says IPC.

A policy recommendations report notes the North American PCB manufacturing base competes for very complex, high-tech DoD products characterized by very high material content, very long build cycles and very low yields. Greater prominence in fulfilling the DoD’s lower technology needs would support a stronger infrastructure for North American manufacturers, IPC asserts.

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