BANNOCKBURN, IL — Total North American PCB shipments in July were up 4.5% compared to the same month last year.

Compared to the preceding month, July shipments dropped 24.9%, IPC announced today.

Year-to-date bookings are down 8.1% compared to 2021, while July bookings decreased 20.9% sequentially.

The book-to-bill ratio was 0.98, down 50 basis points from June and th lowest mark in the past 13 months. The ratio is calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests that demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to 12 months.

“The PCB book-to-bill remained below one for a second consecutive month, the first time this has happened since August 2020,” said Shawn DuBravac, chief economist, IPC. “Orders are down over eight percent through the first half of the year, while shipments are up nearly nine percent. Supply chain constraints are easing, but demand for PCBs is slowing as overall demand for durable goods ebbs.”

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