Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1538100
The Interconnectedness of a Global Supply Chain You may recall when I've discussed the research and development of a particular magazine issue topic and how, at times, I've pivoted at the last minute because of what I learned from the information I've gathered. This month, my original focus was on cultivating your brand, but the more I investigated the topic, the more my subject experts leaned toward interna- tional supply chain strategies. Not surpris- ingly, these two disparate topics are far more interrelated than they might seem. A recent report from the Global Electronics Association stipulates that electronics manufacturing is the single most integrated global supply chain 1 ; not even the automo- tive industry is as globally integrated as the electronics sector. As governments and industry play- ers work to create more regional resiliency in the supply chain, it's very clear that our industry will continue to be one of the most globally integrated industrial supply chains. The report states: • Trade inputs and finished goods reached $4.5 trillion • More than 20% of global merchandise trade overall is electronics • Electronic components alone reached $408 billion in 2023 • Inputs (not finished goods) now represent most of the electronics trade The report makes some more qualitative assertions as well: • China has a key role as both a component buyer and a finished product seller 6 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2025 N O L A N 'S N OT ES by Nolan J ohnson, I-C onne ct0 07