The latest data showed three-month moving-average shipments up 2.4%, while bookings increased 9.0%
The North American electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry recorded a book-to-bill ratio of 1.39 in August 2026, indicating that orders continued to outpace shipments and pointing to a positive production outlook, according to the Global Electronics Association.
EMS shipments in August increased 1% year-on-year (YoY) and rose 5.5% from July. On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, shipments were up 1% compared with the same period last year.
Bookings showed stronger growth, rising 53.5% YoY in August, although they declined 29.2% from the previous month. YTD bookings increased 15.5% YoY.
The association’s three-month book-to-bill ratio stood at 1.39, while the one-month ratio was 1.33. A ratio above 1.00 generally indicates that demand is running ahead of shipments and can signal potential sales growth over the following three to 12 months.
“EMS manufacturers are working to fulfill strong order flow that continues to outpace shipments, building a pipeline of future production,” said Dr. Shawn DuBravac, chief economist at the Global Electronics Association.
However, he noted that the availability of certain components and extended supplier lead times could limit how quickly manufacturers convert orders into deliveries.
The latest data showed three-month moving-average shipments up 2.4%, while bookings increased 9.0%. The association said strong bookings support the production outlook, although material availability remains a challenge for EMS manufacturers.
The Global Electronics Association cautioned that month-to-month changes should be interpreted carefully because of seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Since bookings are generally more volatile than shipments, sustained changes in the book-to-bill ratio over several months provide a more meaningful indication of industry trends.
The North American EMS statistics are based on data from a representative sample of assembly equipment manufacturers selling in the US and Canada.
