New IPC Studies Show World PCB Market Up in 2016 as North American Market Shrinkage Slows

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World printed circuit board (PCB) production reached an estimated $58.2 billion in 2016, up 2.2% in real terms, while North American PCB production decreased a mere 0.1%, according to IPC’s newly published World PCB Production Report for the Year 2016. The North American PCB market also continued its downward trend, but at a slowing rate of just -1.7% in 2016, based on data published this week in IPC’s 2017 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry.

The World PCB Production Report shows that more than half the world’s PCBs based on value are now produced in China, but Taiwanese companies are the leading PCB producers, fabricating most of their PCBs off-shore. India emerged as having the fastest-growing PCB industry in Asia and has joined the top 10 PCB-producing countries in the world as of 2016.

The world report highlighted an abrupt change in the growth trends for rigid PCBs and flexible circuits. Rigid PCB production, which has slowed in recent years, was up slightly in 2016, while the previously growing flex segment decreased. The world PCB market overall is expected to continue experiencing modest growth in 2017.

Developed by a team of the world's leading PCB industry analysts, the World PCB Production Report is the definitive source of PCB production data. It includes estimates of the value of PCB production in eight product categories in each of the world’s major PCB-producing countries and regions. The report also contains commentary on regional industry trends and historical data on PCB production worldwide, as well as a special report on high-speed data communications contributed by BPA Consulting, Ltd.

The 2017 Annual Report on the North American PCB Industry shows that the military and aerospace market continues to consume more than one-third of PCBs sold and this vertical market continues to grow as a percentage of total PCB sales in the region.

The North American report covers the size and growth of the region’s PCB market by product type, the use of special technologies such as RF and embedded components, and other business metrics including revenue per employee, capacity utilization, inventory turns and lead times for rigid PCB and flexible circuit businesses. It is based on data collected in IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program, in which the sample of survey participants represent more than 50 percent of the region’s PCB market.

About IPC

IPC is a global industry association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 4,200 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Brussels, Belgium; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore and New Delhi, India; Bangkok, Thailand; and Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Suzhou and Beijing, China. For more information, click here.