BANNOCKBURN, IL — Total North American PCB orders in March decreased 6.7% year-over-year, pushing year-to-date orders down to 1.7% below the same period last year, says IPC. Orders were up 12.8% sequentially.

March PCB shipments were down 4.7% year-over-year. Year to date, shipments are 3.8% below the same period last year. Sequentially, shipments increased 21.8%.

The PCB book-to-bill ratio continued upward, reaching 1.07. 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.

“North America PCB sales continued below last year’s level in March, while year-on-year order growth fell back into negative territory after a brief upturn in February,” said Sharon Starr, IPC’s director of market research. “The good news is the book-to-bill ratio continued to climb, albeit due to weaker performance in sales than in orders in the first quarter, but positive ratios may indicate strengthening PCB sales in the next several months.”