The U.S. economy has remained surprisingly resilient, and the result has been that the country’s unemployment has continued to inch lower. It’s now at 3.5 percent, the lowest rate since 1969, and that rate could go even lower as the U.S. boasts more than 7 million job openings. Those job openings suggest an opportunity for workers but a tight labor market for employers.
The advent and ongoing evolution of internet-enabled mobile devices has continued to drive innovation in the manufacturing and design of technology capable of high-frequency/high-density electronic signal transfer.
Delta Group Electronics of Dallas, Texas, hosted the production of a new IPC video on Wire Crimping, December 9-12, 2019. This is the sixth IPC video that Delta Group Electronics has hosted. Four of these videos have already won industry awards for video training:
By Chris Mitchell, vice president, global government relations
IPC APEX EXPO is always a fascinating kaleidoscope of electronics manufacturing excellence, and APEX EXPO 2020 was no exception.
Most of the show’s content is relatively technical in nature.
Kudos to IPC-member company TTM Technologies, Inc. for reducing air and water emissions while continuously improving their printed circuit board production processes.
Manufacturers and importers of “high-priority substances” and importers of articles containing these substances may be obligated to pay fees this year to defray the U.S. EPA's costs for administration of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
Electronics manufacturers anticipate at least a five-week product shipment delay from suppliers due to the coronavirus epidemic, according to a survey conducted by IPC. Shipping delays from China and other countries where the virus has spread are already having negative impacts on manufacturers.
Roughly 65 percent of manufacturers report their suppliers expect, on average, a three-week delay.
by Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist
Over the last year, electronics manufacturers have been adjusting their supply chains, driven by a variety of factors but especially trade tensions between the United States and China and the growing expectation that higher tariffs between the U.S. and its partners may be “the new normal.”
More recently, the coronavirus epidemic that originated in China and now is sweeping the world is driving further decoupling between China and the United States.
According to IPC’s recent Coronavirus impact study (March update), roughly 22 percent of electronics manufacturers and suppliers reported that the coronavirus outbreak will result in fewer new product introductions (NPIs) in 2020. In a normal year, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) would be readying production of new products to be released in the coming year.
Over the past month, IPC has brought to your attention that the TSCA Fees Rule may apply to your company beginning in 2020 and that there could be several challenges for those who need to comply.