Bannockburn, Ill. – IPC released the November findings from its monthly North American PCB Statistical Program. Rigid PCB shipments were down 9.6 percent and bookings were up 11.8 percent, compared to November 2006. Rigid PCB shipments year-to-date were down 9.1 percent and bookings were down 8.0 percent. Compared to October 2007, November 2007 rigid PCB shipments decreased 1.7 percent and rigid bookings decreased 4.1 percent. The November 2007 book-to-bill ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry was 1.06.

Flexible circuit shipments were down 1.6 percent and bookings were up 12.6 percent compared to November 2006. Flexible circuit shipments year-to-date were down 6.4 percent and bookings were up 5.5 percent. Compared to October 2007, flexible circuit shipments were up 6.3 percent and flex bookings also rose 4.3 percent. For November 2007, the North American flexible circuit book-to-bill fell back to 1.02.

For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments were down 9.1 percent and orders booked increased 11.8 percent from November 2006. Combined industry shipments year-to-date were down 9.0 percent and bookings were down 7.2 percent. Compared to October 2007, combined industry shipments for November 2007 were down 0.6 percent and bookings were down 3.5 percent. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in November 2007 remained positive at 1.06.