BANNOCKBURN, IL – The forecast for North American PCB production is down for 2009, but shows growth resuming in 2010.
 
World production this year will decline 20% to $40.6 billion worldwide, says IPC. North American production is expected to end the current year at about 15% below 2008, but will start climbing in 2010.
 
North American PCB manufacturers managed to push sales growth in 2008 slightly above 2007 levels, despite declines in the market for PCBs and PCB production in North America, says the association.
 
According to an IPC report for 2008, the world market for PCBs reached an estimated $50.79 billion last year, up 1% from 2007. PCB production in North America, estimated at $4.11 billion, was down 6.5% from the previous year.
 
The North American market for flexible circuits declined almost 10% in 2008 to an estimated $441 million. This decline reflects the loss of some companies and the continued movement of end product manufacturing to other regions, according to IPC.
 
PCB manufacturers that remain active in North America, however, did better than the market in 2008. Rigid PCB manufacturers reported flat sales growth, and flexible circuit producers reported 17% sales growth in 2008, despite declines in both markets.
 

HONG KONG – Dow Epoxy in September will increase prices of its epoxy resins, brominated resins and epoxy novolac resins for the second time since June.

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LOS ALTOS, CA – The short-term surge in semiconductor orders are tied to an uptick in electronics equipment demand coupled with depleted inventorie, but reluctant consumers and tight credit will slow any recovery, an industry analyst said today.

The global semiconductor market will grow 8% next year after an 18.1% plunge this year, Ed Henderson of Henderson Ventures. He forecasts 2011 will see a 10.6% gain. Contrary to other analysts, Henderson believes memory will outstrip other product categories during 2010 and 2011. 

"Companies up and down the supply chain have dumped inventory in an effort to conserve cash," said Henderson in his monthly newsletter, issued this weekend. "Consumers and corporations have adopted more conservative spending philosophies, which will undercut potential equipment purchases. And so will more-restrictive credit standards being applied to a wide spectrum of potential information technology customers."

According to Henderson, restrained economic recovery, sluggish equipment markets and weak chip pricing will undercut the semiconductor rebound. "It will not be until after 2011 that market values will exceed those of 2008."

AUSTIN, TX — Notebook PCs demand surged in the second-quarter, with sales of netbooks growing 40% sequentially and notebooks up 22%.

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