The Future of PCB Manufacturing: Tariffs, Supply Chains & More

Zachariah Peterson
|  Created: March 5, 2025  |  Updated: January 15, 2026
The Future of PCB Manufacturing: Tariffs, Supply Chains & More

Discover the complex landscape of PCB manufacturing in this insightful interview from the OnTrack Podcast with Greg Papandrew, Managing Director of DirectPCB. Learn how recent tariff changes are impacting the industry, why balancing cost and quality remains critical, and what options exist beyond China for PCB sourcing. 

Greg shares valuable strategies for navigating global supply chains and offers practical advice for designers looking to optimize their PCB designs for better manufacturing outcomes.

This episode of the Altium OnTrack podcast explores the evolving PCB manufacturing ecosystem, examining how geopolitical factors are reshaping where and how circuit boards are produced. 

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About Author

About Author

Zachariah Peterson has an extensive technical background in academia and industry. He currently provides research, design, and marketing services to companies in the electronics industry. Prior to working in the PCB industry, he taught at Portland State University and conducted research on random laser theory, materials, and stability. His background in scientific research spans topics in nanoparticle lasers, electronic and optoelectronic semiconductor devices, environmental sensors, and stochastics. His work has been published in over a dozen peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, and he has written 2500+ technical articles on PCB design for a number of companies. He is a member of IEEE Photonics Society, IEEE Electronics Packaging Society, American Physical Society, and the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA). He previously served as a voting member on the INCITS Quantum Computing Technical Advisory Committee working on technical standards for quantum electronics, and he currently serves on the IEEE P3186 Working Group focused on Port Interface Representing Photonic Signals Using SPICE-class Circuit Simulators.

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