It's 1 to 12 for the European PCB industry

“In addition to the generally disastrous economic situation and the well-known locational disadvantages (energy costs, bureaucratic obstacles, etc.), Chinese competition is increasingly driving our industry in Germany to ruin through dumping prices.

According to data from our industry representative ZVEI, order intake at reporting PCB manufacturers, and at the same time representative companies, has halved by almost 2022/2 compared to the first quarter of 3, thus reaching a new low.

At the same time, we manufacturers have tried to reduce the number of employees only slightly in view of the blatant shortage of skilled workers and in order to preserve our know-how. The resulting cost burden cannot be sustained for much longer, or there will either be mass layoffs or company closures very soon.

In addition to the personal dramas, the economic consequences for Germany and Europe are particularly fatal:

• Printed circuit boards are an essential part of the electronics industry's value chain. Without the necessary capacities and know-how in printed circuit boards, an independent electronics industry in Germany and Europe is just as unviable as the chip industry, which is much more expensive to subsidize.
• The importance of the printed circuit board has apparently still not been recognized at both the federal and European levels. However, it has been recognized in the USA, which protects its printed circuit board industry through the "Protecting PCB and Substrate Act". Specifically, 3 billion US dollars were made available for the construction of factories, the development of human resources, R&D, and tax credits of 25% for the purchase of "Made in USA" printed circuit boards.

If the EU and Germany want to preserve their technological independence in the face of current geopolitical changes, the printed circuit board industry must not be forgotten under any circumstances. We therefore appeal to our partners and politicians to use their influence at the relevant national and European levels to draw attention to this problem before it is too late."

At the same time, BRÜGGEN also appeals to customers and purchasers of printed circuit boards: "Anyone who orders everything from Asia must be aware that in the long term they are destroying the European supply industry and are becoming dependent. German and European companies must also act responsibly themselves and not just demand that others find a solution."