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18 The PCB Magazine • December 2014 an expected growth for the whole year finishing at somewhere around 2–3% (and the net PCB imports into the UK have grown likewise fol- lowing a decline in 2013). This is not expected to last. The smoothed 12/12 growth curve for European PCB production is projected forward in Figure 7 to generate forecast growth rates. The current direction suggests that 2015 will be worse (-1%) before picking up in 2016. The United States in contrast has staged a small recovery in 2014 although to a lesser extent than in 2012. Figure 8 shows that after a year of negative growth in 2013, electron- ics production has moved upwards into posi- tive growth in 2014. Electronics production in Canada, having endured a longer depression, is also on course to finish 2014 up 2.6% compared with 2013 although the growth curve for Can- 2015 OUTLOOk FOR THE PCB INDUSTRy: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIvE continues Figure 7: Pcb production in europe, 12/12 growth, historic and forecast 2014–2017. Figure 8: electronics production 6/12 growth curve, uSa & canada. (Sources: u.S. dept. of commerce, Statistics canada)