BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American-made shipments of printed circuit boards fell 3.2% year-over-year in December, while orders rose 22.1% compared to the same month in 2008.

For the year, shipments were down 21.7%, and orders fell 17.2%. Compared to November, combined shipments increased 12.6%, and orders rose 21.5%, said IPC, which tracks the data.

The book-to-bill ratio dipped but remained positive at 1.04. A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to six months.

Rigid PWB shipments fell 3.4%. However, orders were up 27.3% compared to December 2008. For the year, rigid shipments were down 23.2%, and orders dropped 18.1%. Sequentially, rigid PWB shipments increased 13.2%, while orders increased 23.3%. The book-to-bill ratio was 1.05.

Flex circuit shipments for the month fell a slight 0.4%, while orders dropped a dramatic 27.4% year-over-year, according to the association. For 2009, flex shipments were down 1.1%, and orders were down 4.9%. Sequentially, flex shipments rose 4.9%, while orders fell 2.9%. The flex book-to-bill in December slipped to 0.95.

Rigid PWBs represent an estimated 91% of the current industry in North America. In December, 86% of total shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 86% of rigid and 84% of flex circuit shipments.

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