The ECIA North American sales sentiment survey reported actual results of tariffs impact to sales sentiment that crush original positive outlook for April 2025.
The U.S. has announced comprehensive and punitive tariffs on every country worldwide, leading to a devastating drop in sales sentiment as measured in the April ECST Survey.
This has prompted Electronics Component Manufacturers and Distributors to prioritize preventing the detrimental impact of this complex and daunting tariff environment on the supply chain.
The overall component average index score plummeted by 18.8 points between March and April, reaching a dismal 94.7, 16.6 points below expectations. This downward trend is expected to persist into May, with a projected further drop of 11 points, bringing the overall index score to 83.7. This decline has affected all component segments, with Semiconductors and Passive Components experiencing the most significant drops of over 18 points.
Despite the steep drop, Electro-Mechanical / Connector Components managed to maintain a positive overall score of 106.9 in April. However, it is anticipated that this segment will join all others in negative sales sentiment territory in May, with a projected decline of another 16.2 points.
The projections for May sales sentiment continue the precipitous slide in sentiment, with no sign of relief in any component category. This setback to the hopeful start to 2025 highlights the urgent need for a positive resolution to the tariff nightmare to improve sales sentiment.
Distributors and Manufacturers report sentiment slightly above the overall index averages, while Manufacturer Representatives are in strongly negative territory in both the April actuals and May outlook. The overall end-market index mirrored the decline in the component index in April but appears to be pulling back from the current negative momentum in the May outlook, with a score of 93.1 in May.
Every end-market segment suffered declines in their index score, with Medical and Consumer Electronics experiencing the most significant drops.
Seeing the strongest drops. Avionics, Military, Space, and Industrial Electronics continue to be the most resilient markets, with index scores that still report overall positive sentiment and scores that surpass 100. It seems that government policy will determine the market’s fortunes for the foreseeable future.
