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The Chemical Connection: Onshoring PCB Production—Daunting but Certainly Possible
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
August 29, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
We’re winding up the third quarter of 2025 without much resolution to the global economic situation, at least not yet. The Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. have gone live, and even though electronics are currently exempt, it’s too soon to say how our global supply chains might be affected.
Elsewhere in the news, some sources are reporting that the Trump administration has telegraphed a 200% tariff on Chinese rare earth metals. Should it go into effect, this could have a dramatic effect on the supply chain in the short term.
This week, we bring you Global Electronics Association’s Chris Mitchell’s government relations column on—you guessed it—trade deals. TTM is balancing its facilities between East and West. The Global Electronics Association released July numbers for North American PCB shipments, and the news is good. Meanwhile, the corresponding report for EMS might seem like bad news, but that’s misleading. Be sure to look deeper for the rest of the story. Finally, for a bit space-science palate cleansing, I’m sharing news of the latest launch of NASA’s X-37B.
Want to see me talk about my picks for the week? Check out this LinkedIn post.
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
Published August 25
Why should you read this column from Chris Mitchell? This one sentence alone sets the stage: “The copper tariff is particularly disruptive. Copper is not just an input—it is the essential connective tissue in everything from PCBs to wiring harnesses and electric vehicle components.” Tariffs and trade agreements continue to create short-term uncertainty in the long-range planning processes across the industry. Learn what the Global Electronics Association has to say on the topic.
TTM Technologies: Bridging East and West with Strategic Expansion
Published August 25
President and CEO of TTM Technologies Tom Edman discusses TTM’s exciting expansion strategy, the future of manufacturing, and his long tenure at the helm of the company, which is about to come to an end. See who’s replacing him and what that means for TTM—and for Edman.
North American PCB Industry Shipments Up 20.7 Percent in July
Published August 27
Shawn DuBravac, chief economist for the Global Electronics Association, observed, “North American PCB activity firmed in July. A pickup in shipments brought the book-to-bill into balance, indicating output is keeping pace with demand, and demand remains strong.” What does that mean to you? If you didn’t catch this report, it’s the perfect chance to catch up.
North American EMS Industry Shipments Down 4.1% in July
Published August 27
“EMS bookings rose in July even as shipments eased. After clearing earlier deliveries, customers are stepping up orders as momentum normalizes,” said Shawn DuBravac, Global Electronics Association’s chief economist. To illustrate this point, the book-to-bill ratio holds strong at 1.23.
Boeing-built X-37B Spaceplane Launches, Beginning Eighth Mission
Published August 26
NASA isn’t to be overlooked when it comes to autonomous space launch platforms. The X-37B continues to cycle through missions the way the space shuttle was supposed to, but could never achieve. Because the X-37 is more drone than people-carrier, it can take on missions that a manned flight cannot. Read about the “B’s” eighth mission launch here.
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