The Association cautioned that month-to-month movements can be affected by seasonality and short-term volatility
The North American electronics manufacturing services (EMS) sector recorded a book-to-bill ratio of 1.29 in July 2026, indicating that demand continued to outpace shipments, according to the latest findings from the Global Electronics Association’s North American EMS Statistical Program.
EMS shipments in July declined 0.3% year-on-year (YoY) and fell 5.8% month-on-month. However, shipments for the first seven months of 2026 were up 6.2% YoY.
Order activity strengthened sharply during the month. EMS bookings increased 44.3% YoY in July and surged 76.0% compared with June. Year-to-date bookings were also up 11.0% YoY.
“EMS momentum continued in July, with order activity accelerating sharply while shipments struggled to keep pace,” said Dr. Shawn DuBravac, chief economist at the Global Electronics Association.
A book-to-bill ratio above 1.00 indicates that current demand is ahead of supply and is generally considered a positive indicator for sales growth over the following three to 12 months. The ratio is calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the previous three months by the value of sales billed during the same period.
The Association cautioned that month-to-month movements can be affected by seasonality and short-term volatility. Since bookings are typically more volatile than shipments, sustained changes over more than three consecutive months provide a more meaningful indication of industry trends.
The monthly EMS statistics are based on data from a representative sample of assembly equipment manufacturers selling in the US and Canada. The Global Electronics Association publishes the North American EMS book-to-bill ratio at the end of each month.
