Electronic interconnect orders drop for fourth straight month, while shipments continue to increase

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., 2 June 2011. Combined orders of rigid printed circuit boards and flexible circuits in North America decreased for the fourth consecutive month in April, compared with the same period one year ago, while combined shipments of rigid printed circuit boards and flexible circuits in the United States and Canada continued their upward trend, report market analysts at IPC - the Association Connecting Electronics Industries in Bannockburn, Ill.Combined orders of rigid printed circuit boards and flexible circuits in North America dropped by 5.6 percent in April, compared to orders the same month in 2010, while shipments increased 3 percent in April over the same month last year, IPC analysts say in their monthly assessment of the electronic interconnect business.December 2010 was the last time North American orders of rigid printed circuit boards and flexible circuits posted a year-over increase. Combined shipments of these products, however, have posted steady monthly year-over increases since December 2010 and beyond.

The slowdown in sales growth in North American electronic interconnect products is likely to continue through at least this summer, says Denny McGuirk, the IPC president and chief executive officer.

During the first four months of 2011, combined orders of rigid printed circuit boards and flexible circuits are down 6.7 percent, and shipments of these products are up 5.9 percent over the same period in 2010, IPC analysts say. These numbers are part of the IPC's monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (printed circuit board) Statistical Program, which tracks orders and shipments in the U.S. and Canada.

April's orders of rigid printed circuit boards alone were down 8.1 percent over the same month last year, and shipments were up 0.8 percent during the same period. April orders for flexible circuits alone increased 7.2 percent over the same month one year ago, while shipments increased by 30.3 percent during the same period.

For more information contact the IPC online at www.ipc.org.