News Briefing The largest PCB exhibition in Southeast Asia, the “Intelligent Asia Thailand" successfully concluded on March 2nd at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) in Thailand. The event brought together 203 global PCB industry chain participants. With Taiwan's PCB industry continuously expanding its presence in ASEAN countries such as Thailand and Vietnam to strengthen the resilience of the global PCB supply chain, representatives from the Taiwanese and Thai governments are actively engaged in discussions, seeking maximum assistance from the Thai government for Taiwanese factories. Impact analysis A customer survey conducted by Goldman Sachs Group at the beginning of 2024 revealed that 54% of respondents consider geopolitical concerns as the primary risk to current markets and the global economy, while the threat of inflation has somewhat eased. In addition to cost-effectiveness and market operations, geopolitics has become an important consideration for international supply chain strategy planning. Against this backdrop, the Southeast Asian region has emerged as a direct beneficiary area for the global PCB and electronic supply chains. In addition to abundant labor and relatively low labor costs, the Southeast Asian region also boasts extremely limited geopolitical risks. Amid the current international tensions, this region has become a popular choice for companies seeking a second production base, thus promoting the development of the local PCB industry. Among them, Thailand, with its relatively mature PCB and downstream electronic industries, enjoys a leading competitive position in the region. In 2023, Thailand's domestic production value of PCBs accounted for approximately 3.8% of the global total. With major global PCB manufacturers continuing to expand their presence in the region, this figure is expected to increase to 4.7% by 2025. While the PCB supply chain in Southeast Asia is still in its early stages of development, manufacturers continue to face numerous hidden costs. However, the implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) helps improve the regional trade environment and address supply chain shortages. It is expected that over time, the initial challenges will be gradually overcome, leading to an overall improvement in cost-effectiveness.