CANADA – According to a industry reports, a recent survey taken by the organization C-Suite shows that corporate executives in Canada are beginning to show less enthusiasm for carbon taxes, due to economic concerns that will increase the cost of doing business.
TOYKO – Japanese production of electronics equipment and components slipped in April, falling 4.3% year-over-year, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Consumer and industrial equipment were down 8% and 12%, respectively. Computers were off 8.5%. Telecom was the only major end-product to buck the trend, rising 6.6% year-over-year.
ICs were off 4.1%, while bare boards were down 7.1%.
For the year, equipment and components are down 0.8%.
NEW YORK – Vietnam’s January 2007 entry into the World Trade Organization set in motion what’s become a fast-growing electronics manufacturing locale. The Southeast Asian nation’s low labor cost, availability of trainable local population and favorable government policies are attracting global EMS/ODM companies to set up operations, says research firm Frost & Sullivan.
The government's emphasis on making electronics a key export earner is pushing Vietnam to migrate to the path of high-tech industry. The country is also experiencing rapid increase in semiconductor consumption. Many investors feel that it is easier to do business in Vietnam than in China due to lesser regulatory hassles and government business-friendly policies, Frost says. The response: The electronics and IT industries are turning in average growth rates of 25 to 35% a year.
According to Frost, the main products are printers, computer and mobile phone parts, and PCBs. Vietnam's electronics industry is targeting domestic production of $5 billion to $6 billion by 2010.
As such, Vietnam will soon emerge as a tough competitor to other well-established neighbors in Asia, Frost says. It is to be seen if Vietnam will emerge as a viable alternative.
Frost research analyst Akkaraju Venkata Sridevi says, "The electronics industry in Vietnam is very young and rapidly developing due to high priority in the government's development strategy. Vietnam has also become a heaven for investors from Korea and China. Intel has tripled its investment in Vietnam to $1 billion.”
Vietnam is also an emerging destination for investments, after China and India, she says. "The economic growth rates spell success for the country. Vietnam's economy is the fastest growing economy, second only to China, in the Asian region. Government support to establish industry parks, good physical infrastructure, the availability of English-speaking workforce and low labor costs are all factors that make Vietnam an attractive destination."
The firm will provide a briefing on Vietnam’s EMS/ODM and semiconductor industries, education system and labor force, semiconductor consumption, leading OEMs and macroeconomic indicators. Email Donna Jeremiah at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for info.
SALEM, OR – Electronics manufacturers pursuing individual or group recycling programs in compliance with Oregon's new electronics recycling law must submit plans by July 1.
The Oregon Electronics Recycling Law (ORS 495A.300-.365) mandates all manufacturers of CEDs (covered electronic devices) sold or offered for sale in the state must register with the Department of Environmental Quality and pay an annual registration fee to fund the program’s administrative costs. Manufacturers then choose to manage their own statewide collection programs or participate in a state contractor program that DEQ will establish.
The law covers desktop computers, portable computers, monitors and TVs. Manufacturers cover their own company-run program costs or pay a fee to participate in the state contractor program. All programs must be in operation by Jan. 1, and the disposal of CEDs is prohibited in Oregon as of Jan. 1, 2010. Furthermore, beginning Jan. 1, only registered brands are eligible for sale in or into the state.
GLEN ALLEN, VA - NanoMarkets, an analyst firm that covers markets for thin film and organic and printable electronics, has released the first of four reports derived from its Printed Electronics Materials Database.
The report provides a near-term outlook for the printed electronics materials business, and identifies business opportunities in five segments in printed electronics: conductive metallic inks, printed organic materials, printed silicon, nanomaterial ink, and substrate materials. The report also analyzes implications such as the increasing price of silver, R&D of organic materials and nanomaterials, the marketing of printed silicon and printed electronics on paper, and the requirement that raw materials used in the technology be available in commercial quantities in the near term.
The report identifies the growing number of materials being used for inks, bringing printing technology to more segments of the electronics industry. These include inks made from silicon, carbon nanotubes and hybrid materials such as silver-plated copper and dye sensitive photovoltaic materials.
According to the report, the printed electronics industry is taking its lead from the established semiconductor industry, using silicon inks as a viable way to create thin-film transistors, while transfer printing further allows the fabrication of more complicated silicon devices on flexible substrates. The report claims that nanosilicon inks may prove to be the best route to printed silicon, and that metallic nanoparticle inks promise higher conductivities and lower curing temperatures, while carbon nanotube inks open up new possibilities for ITO replacements, lighting and emissive displays.
WASHINGTON — Retail sales of consumer electronics and appliances rose 3% year-over-year in the May quarter, up from 1.5% sequentially, according to the US Census Bureau.
Furthermore, North American TV shipments rose 4% during the first quarter, says research firm DisplaySearch, with LCD shipments leading the way, rising 110%.
The boosts, coupled with a 19% spike in US notebook PC unit sales during the quarter, have led some analysts to suggest the US tax rebate is having an effect on consumer buying patterns.
