PCB Shipments Fall as Bookings Surge
North American printed circuit board shipments dropped year over year in September 2026 while orders climbed sharply.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Semiconductors
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The Global Electronics Association reported that North American PCB shipments fell 6.4% year over year in September 2026. Bookings over the same period rose 229.4%, according to the association's monthly statistics.
Why it matters
A book-to-bill ratio of 1.77 signals that incoming orders are outpacing billed sales, a pattern that supports future production. The gap between shipments and bookings points to demand strength in the PCB supply chain.
The September 2026 book-to-bill ratio of 1.77 is calculated by dividing orders booked over the past three months by sales billed in the same period. Year-to-date shipments rose 13.3% and year-to-date bookings rose 56.1% compared with the same period last year.
The players
Global Electronics Association
The Global Electronics Association is an industry trade group that tracks production, shipment, and order data across the electronics manufacturing sector.
The details
Data center and networking investment and aerospace and defense programs are driving PCB demand, according to the association. Copper foil, resin, and electronic glass fabric are identified as key supply-chain bottlenecks, putting pressure on material costs and lead times.
Timeline
September 2025 served as the baseline month for year-over-year comparisons.
August 2026 was the preceding month used for month-over-month comparisons.
September 2026 saw shipments fall 6.4% year over year while bookings rose 229.4%.
The association publishes its PCB book-to-bill ratio at the end of each month.
Market Landscape
The Global Electronics Association's monthly PCB program tracks shipments and bookings across rigid and flexible circuit makers in the USA and Canada. The September 2026 divergence, with shipments falling while bookings climb, marks a sharp reversal in the series' recent pattern.
Lead times and material costs for PCBs may rise while copper foil, resin, and glass fabric remain constrained. Electronics buyers and device makers could face longer waits for boards as the order backlog builds.
The takeaway
Strong orders relative to billings suggest PCB production demand will remain elevated in coming months. Tracking the monthly book-to-bill ratio offers a useful gauge of whether supply can keep pace.
Further reading
For broader context on chip supply chains, see the Semiconductors section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by EMSNow.
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