BANNOCKBURN, IL — Total North American printed circuit board orders in July increased 8% year-over-year, driving year-to-date order growth up to 2.5% above the same period last year. Orders were down 19.8% sequentially, says IPC.

July shipments were down 6.2% compared to the same month last year. Year to date, shipments are 4.4% below the same period last year. Sequentially, shipments decreased 22.3%.

The July book-to-bill ratio was up to 1.09. A ratio of more than one suggests current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to six months.

“Results for the North American PCB industry in July continued a trend of sales below last year’s levels and growth in bookings,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “This combination of factors pushed the book-to-bill ratio still higher in July. The ratio has been above parity for six consecutive months, indicating the prospect of a recovery in sales by the end of this year. The steep declines in month-to-month growth rates should not raise alarms, as these reflect normal seasonal patterns.”

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