IPC announced the July 2022 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 0.98. Total North American PCB shipments in July 2022 were up 4.5% compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, however, July shipments dropped 24.9%. PCB year-to-date bookings in July were down 8.1% compared to last year. Bookings in July decreased 20.9% from the previous month.

“The PCB book-to-bill remained below one for a second consecutive month, the first time this has happened since August 2020,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “Orders are down over 8% through the first half of the year, while shipments are up nearly 9%. Supply chain constraints are easing, but demand for PCBs is slowing as overall demand for durable goods ebbs.”

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to 12 months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.

IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit manufacturers selling in the United States and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

For more information, visit: www.ipc.org/.