FRANKFURT – Germany area PCB sales slumped 17.4% in the second quarter from a year ago thanks to a Covid-19 lull, according to ZVEI.

In the first quarter, PCB manufacturers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland recorded a 7.5% decline in sales year-over-year. Although the sales figures were somewhat better in June, the PCB industry is still anticipating a sales decline of around 10 to 15% for 2020.

Second quarter incoming orders fell 39% sequentially, and existing orders were postponed or canceled, says the firm. In the first quarter, however, manufacturers in the region benefited from China’s inability to deliver because of Covid-19. Orders were relocated to Germany, Austria and Switzerland, ZVEI adds.

The book-to-bill ratio reached 0.78 in the second quarter. Due to the high number of incoming orders in February and March, the first half of the year came in at 0.93. Because of the exit restrictions and the lack of sales opportunities, many companies had to close temporarily. Short-time work regulations prevented major layoffs from occurring. The number of employees was down 4%.

PCB West Virtual 2020 has more than 125 hours’ worth of technical sessions on printed circuit design and manufacturing available through Oct. 12.  pcbwest.com

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