Printed Circuit Design & Fab Online Magazine - Market News

Market News

BANNOCKBURN, IL– IPC, in collaboration with the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), recently commented to the Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics (the trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry) reported October sales were up 29.1% year-over-year to $5.2 billion.

Sales were up 7.6% sequentially, the company said, on demand for networking and consumer electronics. PC sales were stable, the company said.

Year-to-date, sales are up 27.5%.

The firm, the world's largest ODM/EMS company, said sales through the remainder of calendar 2008 would grow as well.

Foxconn Technology, the EMS subsidiary of Foxconn Electronics, said October consolidated sales were up 25.9% year-over-year to NT$16.72 billion. Year to date sales are up 18.%.

BANNOCKBURN, IL — A new guidebook that covers the European Union's registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals (REACH) regulations has been released by IPC.

The document was developed at the direction of an IPC task force to combat "a widespread lack of awareness and understanding of REACH within the industry."

"REACH & the Electronics Industry Supply Chain: The Basics, the Impact and How to Survive," includes a timetable of activities and a review of REACH implications and obligations for each segment of the supply chain.

The deadline for REACH preregistration is Nov. 30.

For information, visit the IPC bookstore at ipc.org/onlinestore.

TAIPEI – Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics and Wistron all reported sequential revenue increases in October, while Inventec fell slightly, say published reports.

Quanta reported consolidated revenues of $2.24 billion for the month, up 19.3% sequentially, but down 1.3% year-over-year. The firm shipped four million notebooks in October.

Quanta's revenues for the first ten months were $20.18 billion, up 11.6% compared to the same period last year.

Compal reported a record consolidated revenues of $1.43 billion for October, up 2% compared to September, and up 2.13% compared to the same month last year.

The firm’s revenues from January to October were $11.1 billion.

Wistron said consolidated revenues for the month were $1.63 billion, also a record, up 7.4% sequentially. The company’s October revenues surged 64.83% year-over-year.

Inventec reported revenues of $1.17 billion, down 4.72% sequentially; however, with substantial notebook orders from Toshiba, combined revenues from January to October reached $8.62 billion, up 51.36% compared to the period last year.

FRANKFURT – ZVEI reported that the German electronic components and systems sales would drop by 4% to Euro 16.4 billion ($20.89 billion) for 2008. ZVEI forecasts a further decline of 1% for 2009. Weak semiconductor sales (down 8% for the year)played a big role in this decline because semiconductor sales account for 60% to the electronic component market in Germany. ZVEI market analysts are optimistic of a rebound in the semiconductor market in 2009.

Chip sales last year dropped more than 4% to Euro 10.7 billion ($13.63 billion). This year German semiconductor sales are further expected to decrease by 8% to Euro 9.8 billion ($12.48 billion). The telecommunications segment that dropped 23% in sales in 2007 is expected to suffer another 36% loss in 2008 according to ZVEI.

The domestic printed circuit board market posted a 2.5% increase in sales to Euro 1.5 billion ($1.91 billion), according to the Printed Circuit Board Association (VdL). The industry is expected grow 1.3% overall in 2008.

The falling rate of exchange between the Euro and US dollar is also impacting sales.