NEW IPC COMMODITIES REPORT PREDICTS RISING PRICE TREND TO RESUME IN 2013

 IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries®  launched a new series of monthly market research reports this week with the publication of the February 2013 edition of IPC Commodities Report for the Electronics Industry. This new report is designed to help electronics manufacturers track trends affecting manufacturing costs and anticipate changes in the supply base.

The 19-page report provides current data on the prices of nine commodities of particular importance to the electronics industry, showing both historical trends and five-year forecasts, from secondary sources. It also includes commentary on trends in supply and consumption of those commodities. The commodities reported on include tin, copper, nickel, lead, silver, gold, indium, crude oil and natural gas.

According to the February 2013 report, with the exception of gold, all of the metals IPC tracks for the electronics industry experienced double-digit (percentage) price decreases in 2012.  After a rally in the second half of 2012, most prices now appear to be holding steady as markets await the outcome of economic developments in Europe, the USA and China.  The forecast for 2013 is a moderate resumption of rising prices for most metals, with the exception of nickel.
Oil prices are expected to decline in 2013, but resume their upward trend in the years following. Natural gas prices dipped in 2012, and are expected to begin an upward trend in 2013.

IPC Commodities Report for the Electronics Industry is updated from secondary sources at the beginning of each month.

A one-year subscription to the monthly report is available for $500 per year, with a discounted annual price of $250 for IPC members. All subscriptions offer a money-back guarantee in the first month. Subscriptions may be purchased at www.ipc.org/subscription-order.

Information about all of IPC’s market research subscription services can be found at www.ipc.org/market-research-subscriptions.

IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global industry association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 3,300 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2.17 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; Bangkok, Thailand; and Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu and Beijing, China.