IPC Applauds New U.S.-Canada Partnership to Strengthen Advanced Packaging, PCB Manufacturing in North America

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The following is statement by John W. Mitchell, president and CEO of IPC, the global electronics manufacturing association, on the joint statement today of U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:   

“On behalf of electronics manufacturers, IPC applauds the just-announced partnership between the United States and Canada ‘to strengthen advanced packaging for semiconductors and printed circuit boards in North America,’ including an additional USD $50 million in U.S. Defense Production Act funding for those purposes.

“In order to achieve their shared goals, the U.S. and Canada must invest in and support the growth of the electronics manufacturing ecosystem, including printed circuit boards (PCBs), IC substrates, and semiconductor assembly. Neglecting a “silicon-to-systems” approach would undercut the promise of the CHIPS Act and the region’s long-term leadership in innovation.

“Today’s announcement represents another meaningful step toward rebuilding a North American electronics manufacturing industry that was once the envy of the world.”

This is the third time in a month that the U.S. Government has called for a “more than just chips” approach to implementing the CHIPS Act. On Feb. 23, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the government is working to establish at least two new, large-scale clusters of leading-edge semiconductor fabs, each with a robust supplier ecosystem, cutting-edge R&D, and workforce training. Significantly, she said the U.S. will develop multiple high-volume “advanced packaging” facilities and become a global leader in chip packaging technologies.

The week before, on a Freakonomics podcast, Raimondo confirmed that some CHIPS Act funding will go to “smaller firms,” including “circuit-board companies.”

          Here are additional IPC resources on this issue:

• Website and video with industry leader soundbites: IPC has just published a new website with background information on advanced packaging. At the top of this page is a new video with straight-to-the-camera soundbites from nine electronics industry leaders on the need to strengthen the entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

• Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Blake Moore (R-UT) recently called on the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase domestic production of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and integrated circuit (IC) substrates. With over 50% of PCBs being imported from China, they said it is critical that the DoD increase domestic production and ensure the use of electronics from trusted sources. Read the full letter here.

• IPC Report: Leadership Lost? Rebuilding the U.S. Electronics Supply Chain