Axios: Fresh inflation warning

Fresh inflation warning
 
A line chart that shows monthly annual change in the producer price index for bare printed circuit boards from June 1992 to July 2026. The series ranges from minus 5.09491% in April 1994 to 45.3514% in July 2026, with mostly modest moves before a sharp surge in 2026.Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED. Chart: Emily Peck/Axios

Prices for one of the world’s least glamorous products — bare printed circuit boards — are skyrocketing to record levels, Axios’ Emily Peck reports.

That’s a blazing-loud warning for more inflation to come.

🟩 The big picture: Bare printed circuit boards are the green rectangles that house silicon chips.They’re in everything from smartphones and cars to medical and military equipment.🤖 Data centers and AI labs are fueling huge price increases for computer chips — but also the simple boards that they get placed on.

The Producer Price Index for the boards rose 45% in July from the same time last year.That reflects prices charged by domestic manufacturers. The U.S. produces only about 4% of the global supply, but the data still illustrates the pricing squeeze.

📈 Between the lines: The Iran war has pushed up prices for the boards’ basic components: primarily resin and copper.

A major manufacturer of resin in Saudi Arabia was knocked offline in April after an Iranian attack.
That one plant makes 70% of the world’shigh-puritypolyphenylene ether resin.

👀 What we’re watching: Price hikes tied to higher circuit board costs will take a while to hit your wallet.

Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University’s business school, tells Axios: “It takes at least six months, if not a year, for these price increases fairly far upstream in the supply chain to start to make their way to end users.

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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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