According to the analysis of NT Information, it is estimated that the global PCB output value will reach 62.75 billion US dollars this year. The total output value of the four regions of China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea is more than 80%, which can be regarded as the main base of global PCB production. IEK pointed out that although the mainland of China is the largest production center, many of them contribute to Taiwanese businessmen, so the real rival of Taiwan's PCB industry is Japan with advanced technology and Korea with the rise of electronic brands. Japan and Korea's PCB products are mostly concentrated on the application of high-level intelligent action devices, similar to Taiwan's PCB industry development direction, the future development trend deserves sustained attention.
According to the Taiwanese Circuit Board Association (TPCA), according to IEK research, Japan and South Korea are all focusing on the development of high-level PCB products. Japan's PCB industry is committed to investing in high-level consumer electronics and special niche technology, and still occupies an important position in global technology. At present, Japan's PCB industry is more committed to the application of high-value-added products such as medical care, automobiles and so on, effectively carrying out the layout at home and abroad, and accelerating the industrial transformation. On the other hand, Japan suffers from the high exchange rate of the Japanese currency, which poses a high challenge to the operating costs, and the lack of flexibility of PCB suppliers in emerging markets, which results in considerable pressure on Japanese businessmen in their operation and transformation.
Because of the rise of Korean electronic brand, Korean PCB industry directly drives the development of components through group operation, and Korean government maintains industry competitiveness through exchange rate manipulation, leading Korean PCB industry to positively lay out the market of light and thin intelligent action devices, which promotes Korea's PCB position to grow rapidly in the world and approach Japan and Taiwan; however, Korea supports industry by group operation. The way is not conducive to the survival of small and medium-sized electronic component suppliers, which is also different from the flexible production of Taiwan's PCB industry. Global layout and customer diversification are the biggest challenges for Korean component suppliers at this stage.
As for Taiwan businessmen on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, influenced by the international downturn, TPCA and IEK of ITRI jointly surveyed and counted that the PCB industry on both sides of the Taiwan Strait grew by 3.5% in the second quarter of 2012, with a market size of NT$127.9 billion. Faced with future uncertainties, the output value of Taiwan businessmen on both sides of the Taiwan Strait is estimated to grow by only 5.6% in the third quarter of 2012 and decline by 3% in the fourth quarter. The annual output value of PCB industry has only increased slightly by 2.23% compared with 2011, and is estimated to be NT$517.5 billion.
[Relevant News] Total Economic Data Difference PCB has grown slightly this year
According to a survey released by TPCA and IEK of ITRI, the PCB industry of Taiwanese businessmen has grown by only 2.23% this year due to the overall economic downturn.
Taiwanese PCB Association said that in the second quarter of this year, purchasing managers'indices in the United States, mainland China, Japan and the euro area showed a downward trend. The August data showed that they all fell below the 50 baseline, indicating a recession in manufacturing industry, and purchasing managers were worried about future market growth.
According to the survey by the Industry and Economics Center of the Institute of Industry and Research, the output value of PCB industry on both sides of the Taiwan Straits increased by 3.5% in the second quarter of 2012, with the market size of NT$127.9 billion.
Faced with the rising uncertainties in the future, IEK predicts that the output value of Taiwanese PCB will increase slightly or be flat in the third and fourth quarters of this year. In 2012, the annual output value of PCB industry on both sides of the Taiwan Straits increased slightly by 2.23% compared with that in 2011, with an estimated annual output value of 517.5 billion yuan.
IEK also said that the strength of rising copper prices is gradually losing, coupled with the possible implementation of loose monetary policy (QE3) in the United States, which may lead to a depreciation of the U.S. dollar, so that the currency market from the U.S. dollar to the gold market, boosting the international gold quotation, but also more unfavorable to the PCB industry.
Taiwan PCB Association said it would hold a series of seminars on PCB industry trend on June 6 to discuss possible opportunities for the industry in the second half of the year.