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American Made Advocacy: Five Things American Manufacturers Must Do in 2024

A new year always means new opportunities in Washington, D.C., but this election year presents special challenges. If you make, buy, or depend on printed circuit boards and substrates, here are five things our industry can do to make 2024 a winning year for our growing team.

1. Put circuit boards and substrates on the ballot.

• The 2024 elections will prompt discussion on many controversial issues, but what should not divide American voters is the need to make more of the technologies we depend on here at home.
• From summer town halls to national party conventions, let’s make sure our leaders answer the following questions: How will America reclaim its leadership in technology manufacturing? How can we build secure and resilient supply chains? How do we reclaim leadership in the sectors of the global economy we invented?
• Our elected officials have a role to play, so let’s all make sure they understand these issues.

2. Expand the team fighting for American-made microelectronics.
In less than three years, PCBAA has grown from our founding five members to almost 50 today. While this growth is impressive, it doesn’t include hundreds of organizations that comprise our domestic microelectronics ecosystem. These companies—whether they supply raw materials or finished products—have a vested interest in restoring America’s capacity to build the technologies that power our modern world. From F-150s to F35s, PCBs make it possible. After a three-year public education campaign, our elected officials are beginning to understand what has happened to our industry over the past three decades. America no longer makes the critical components we invented. Understanding is the first step toward legislative action, but our representatives won’t act until they hear more voices in more places.

3. Identify our impact on the American economy.
Our association likes to say, “PCBs make it possible.” Whether it’s EV chargers, critical infrastructure, national defense, household goods, or medical devices, printed circuit boards are an integral component of almost all technology products. Microelectronics manufacturing means tens of thousands of jobs in hundreds of communities across America. Our industry contributes billions annually to our GDP. How can we expect lawmakers to act if they don’t understand this?

4. Enlist our allies.
The fight for secure and resilient supply chains is hardly confined to our industry. Large trade groups, reshoring advocates, think tanks, state and local development authorities, and our military leadership see the need to rebuild capacity and mitigate risk. But do they know about PCBs and substrates? It’s our job to make sure they do.

5. Help finish the job that the CHIPs Act started.

Five years ago, business executives and congressional leaders realized the time was right to push for the reshoring of critical manufacturing sectors. Out of their passion and pandemic shortfalls was born the now famous “CHIPs and Science Act.” That $52 billion investment has brought nearly $450 billion in private money off the sidelines. Industrial policy and national security priorities have merged into a common effort to build the technologies we depend on every day. This was an important first step, but as we often say, “chips don’t float.” They exist as part of the microelectronics ecosystem, and they need the same focus and attention as semiconductors if we want to regain global leadership.

The PCBAA believes in and fights for market fairness and a level playing field on which U.S. PCB and substrate manufacturers and component materials providers can compete and win. This is the year to join our effort by visiting us online or contacting me directly.

Travis Kelly is CEO of Isola Group and Chair of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America.