BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American printed circuit board orders in April fell 10.2% year-over-year and 27.8% sequentially, says IPC.

PCB shipments were up 6% compared to April 2020. Sequentially, shipments fell 18.1%.

The April book-to-bill ratio was 1.16, compared to 1.22 in March. The ratio is calculated by dividing the value of orders by the number of sales during the measured period. 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 12 months.

“After strong orders in March, April PCB shipments were constrained by ongoing supply chain disruptions,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “The coming months will likely show volatile order and shipment flows.”