Dan's Biz Bookshelf: 'Revenge of the Tipping Point'
Marcy's Musings: Engineering Economics
Punching Out: Should You Sell Your Company to a Private Equity Firm?
Electronics Industry Welcomes Reintroduction of Bipartisan Proposal to Boost U.S. Printed Circuit Board Sector
May 12, 2023 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The electronics manufacturing industry is welcoming the reintroduction of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Congress that would help rebuild the country’s printed circuit board (PCB) sector.
The Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act, reintroduced today by Reps. Blake Moore (R-UT) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), incentivizes purchases of domestically produced PCBs as well as support industry investments in factories, equipment, workforce training, and research and development.
The legislation comes amid increasing attention to the wider electronics supply chain into which semiconductors fit. In March, President Joe Biden issued a “Presidential Determination” under the Defense Production Act (DPA) that prioritizes the domestic manufacture of PCBs as a matter of national security. The month before, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told a podcast that “circuit board” companies would have opportunities for CHIPS Act funding.
IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell said, “This bipartisan bill addresses well-known vulnerabilities in U.S. electronics manufacturing, taking a ‘silicon-to-systems’ approach that prioritizes greater innovation and resiliency across the entire industry. We thank Reps. Eshoo and Moore for their leadership, and we call on all Members of Congress to support this bill.”
PCBs are as integral to electronics as semiconductor chips, their better-known partners. They are the physical platform upon which microelectronic components such as chips and capacitors are mounted and interconnected. Electronic systems cannot function without PCBs.
However, according to “Leadership Lost,” a report published by IPC, the United States “has lost its historic dominance in the PCB sector.” Since 2000, the U.S. share of global PCB production has fallen from over 30% to just 4%, with China now dominating the sector at around 50%. Any loss of access to non-domestic sources of PCBs would be “catastrophic,” the report said.
Numerous government and industry reports have raised the alarm for almost 20 years. For example, a 2018 Commerce Department report characterized the sector as “dying on the vine,” and the department’s 2022 report on the information and communications technology (ICT) industry noted the same supply chain risks.
Share on:
Suggested Items
IPC Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week with a Focus on Electronics Manufacturing Excellence
11/19/2024 | IPCIPC, a leading global electronics industry association and source for industry standards, training and advocacy, is proud to announce its participation in National Apprenticeship Week, scheduled for November 17-23, 2024.
IPC Introduces First Standard for In-Mold Electronics
11/18/2024 | IPCIPC announces the release of IPC-8401, Guidelines for In-Mold Electronics. IPC-8401 addresses in-mold electronics (IME) technology, providing industry consensus on guidelines for manufacturing processes, part structures, material selection, and production test methods to integrate printed electronics and components into 3D smart structures.
Disruptive Innovation and Generative AI Inventor, Kevin Surace, to Keynote IPC APEX EXPO 2025
11/15/2024 | IPCEach year, IPC APEX EXPO features industry’s most dynamic, innovative minds to deliver keynote presentations that are both educational and entertaining. IPC APEX EXPO 2025 will feature Kevin Surace, an internationally renowned futurist and generative artificial intelligence (AI) innovator.
Keysight Providing Software to Enable Researchers through the Microelectronics Commons
11/15/2024 | Keysight TechnologiesKeysight Technologies, Inc. announced it has reached an agreement to provide its electronic design automation (EDA) software to six of the eight hubs participating in the Microelectronics Commons (Commons).
Neways Partners with MilDef for the Production of Advanced Electronic Components
11/15/2024 | NewaysNeways, the global innovator in mission-critical technology for leading semicon, connectivity and smart mobility companies, announces it has entered into a partnership with MilDef, the developer of world-leading tactical IT solutions, products and systems, made to perform in the toughest conditions.