Global Citizenship: Cultivating Cross-border Partnerships With Integrity
Nolan’s Notes: Moving Forward With Confidence
The Knowledge Base: Beyond the Badge—Why Membership Matters More Than Ever
Deciphering the Presidential Determination
April 3, 2023 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
On March 27, 2023, U.S. President Biden issued a presidential determination that, IPC states, “prioritizes the domestic development of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and advanced packaging, including IC substrates, under Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA).
IPC welcomes this action, but what does this really mean? IPC vice president of global government relations, Chris Mitchell, joins Nolan Johnson to clarify what a presidential determination is, what it means to both the industry and individual companies.
Audio Transcript:
IPC’s Chris Mitchell, vice president of global government relations, explains the March 27 Presidential Determination for Printed Circuit Boards and Advanced Packaging.
Nolan Johnson: Hi, Nolan Johnson here for Real Time with… I-Connect007, and I have the pleasure of speaking with Chris Mitchell. He is the vice president of global government relations for IPC. Chris, welcome.
Chris Mitchell: Thanks, Nolan. It's always great to be with you.
Johnson: On Monday this week, March 27, IPC put out a press release welcoming the U.S. presidential determination prioritizing domestic development of printed circuit boards and IC substrates. That's pretty newsy.
Mitchell: Yes, it was. A big development and one that's been—quite frankly—a long time in coming. We're exuberant that it was issued on Monday and it's notable that it came out, really, on the heels of an announcement on Friday, while the president was in Canada that the U.S. would be committing, through the Defense Production Act, $50 million for the strengthening of the U.S. PCB and advanced packaging industries.
Johnson: How is a determination different from an executive order?
Mitchell: First, the Defense Production Act, over its 70-plus year history, has evolved in order to allow the president and the U.S. government to more broadly address any number of Industrial Base issues. In this case, the president issued a presidential determination. This comes through in the form of a memorandum to the secretary of defense. And it is the president's mechanism for, one, identifying an Industrial Base need as a strategic national priority in the interests of our nation's defense. And in addition, providing exemptions to certain requirements that many industries under the Defense Production Act program would normally need to meet in order to secure the kind of benefits and opportunities that that the program can afford. I think what we see in this presidential determination is, at the very highest levels of the U.S. government for the first time—at least in recent history—an affirmation that the printed circuit board industry is of significant strategic importance to the nation. By designating the industry as having that strategic national importance, it then gives the industry the ability to leverage the Defense Production Act to ramp up production and innovation.
Johnson: Now, this is the first time that's coming from the president himself. However, there has been quite a bit of activity in the past few months that have telegraphed this.
Mitchell: Yes. But clearly the government's been preparing for this. The Defense Department is not alone, but certainly taking the lead in helping to provide a greater level of support for the industry given the significant vulnerabilities that exist.
Johnson: How do you see this affecting the CHIPS Act and any subsequent legislation following behind, such as a new version of last Congress's HR 7677?
Page 1 of 2
Share on:
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/13/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Today is Friday the 13th, and in much of Western folklore, this is a day when bad luck is lurking. But while Friday the 13th may top Western superstition charts, the global calendar is sprinkled with its own unlucky legends. In Spain and Greece, the bad juju lands on Tuesday the 13th—a day linked to Mars, the god of war, and naturally, chaos. In Italy, it’s Friday the 17th that is feared, thanks to the Roman numeral XVII, which can be rearranged to spell VIXI—Latin for “I have lived” (a poetic way of saying you’re dead).
Priority Software Appoints Ben Karniel as Chief Revenue Officer to Spearhead Global Growth
06/12/2025 | Priority SoftwarePriority Software, a leading provider of scalable and agile cloud-based business management solutions, proudly announces the appointment of Ben Karniel as its new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), effective May 1, 2025. This strategic addition to the executive team underscores Priority's commitment to expand its global footprint.
Roll-to-Roll Technologies for Flexible Devices Set to Grow at 11.5% CAGR
06/11/2025 | GlobeNewswireAccording to the latest study from BCC Research, the “Global Markets for Roll-to-Roll Technologies for Flexible Devices” is expected to reach $69.8 billion by the end of 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5% from 2024 to 2029.
Nordson Electronics Solutions Develops Panel-level Packaging Solution for Powertech Technology, Inc. That Achieves Yields Greater Than 99% for Underfilling During Semiconductor Manufacturing
06/11/2025 | Nordson Electronics SolutionsNordson Electronics Solutions, a global leader in reliable electronics manufacturing technologies, has developed several solutions for panel-level packaging (PLP) during semiconductor manufacturing. In one particular case, Nordson’s customer, Powertech Technology, Inc. (PTI) saw underfill yields improve to greater than 99% as they plan to transition from wafers to panels in their manufacturing operations. edwd
Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Test: A Conversation with Bert Horner
06/11/2025 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Bert Horner is a seasoned industry veteran and co-creator of The Test Connection, Inc. (TTCI), a test and inspection company spanning over 45 years. In this candid conversation, Bert reflects on the challenges our industry faces with the retirement of career professionals and the subsequent loss of critical tribal knowledge. As he unveils The Training Connection’s innovative training initiatives, Bert emphasizes the importance of evolving educational programs that align with industry needs, particularly in design for test (DFT), and sheds light on strategies being implemented to foster the next generation of engineers.