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American Made Advocacy: The Shared Responsibility of Rebuilding Our Industrial Base

After decades of offshoring, Americans are returning to the factory floor, and our elected officials and business leaders are now investing in American manufacturing because it aids our economy and strengthens our national security. Whether it’s a data center powering the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) or an automated factory building a state-of-the-art drone, America’s manufacturing renaissance depends on microelectronics.

Our ambitious national goal to win the AI race has created a demand for millions of computer servers containing billions of printed circuit boards and chips. AI data centers handle data ranging from innocuous computer queries to the most sensitive national defense and economic content. Our most serious global competitor in this race to invent and own the future is, of course, China. It is deeply concerning that we depend on China for both data center server components and dual-use items in our national defense systems.

The Pentagon is rightly emphasizing the need to adopt commercial models for acquiring new weapon systems. Unfortunately, dual-use and commercial off-the-shelf components often include Chinese content. Because supply chains become murky after two or three levels of investigation, American data centers and electronics subsystem manufacturers are vulnerable to security compromises and supply chain interruptions when foreign content is contained in their systems. This same vulnerability exists in our critical infrastructure, including telecommunications, banking, medical systems, air traffic control, and others.

There are solutions that would reduce and eventually eliminate these vulnerabilities. Companies doing business with the Pentagon need to comply with the provisions of Section 851 in the National Defense Authorization Act. Section 851 directs the Pentagon to have a plan in place by January 2027 to remove all content from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. As leading OEMs divest from China, our industry must be ready to scale up and meet the need.

The growing membership in the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) includes companies ranging from defense primes to ambitious startups, all sharing a commitment to building a trusted and secure American electronics supply chain. Industry is stepping up but true industrial policy starts in Washington.

The printed circuit board industry was largely excluded from the CHIPS Act, despite the fact that PCBs are fundamental to the functionality of the microelectronics “stack” (chip + substrate + PCB). The kind of investment that chips received resulted in an unprecedented buildout of semiconductor manufacturing. Public investment attracted private investment that was ~10X government commitment, and the process of rebuilding the semiconductor industry is well underway. Similar commitment to the PCB industry is needed. Our member companies are competing with foreign countries that subsidize their industries to gain market share and leverage, and we need our government to support us in leveling the playing field. This is why we continue to lobby for passage of our PCBAA legislation, the PCBS Act, H.R. 3597, and to secure a Senate companion bill.

Our elected officials are saying the right things about reshoring and restoring capacity. Now it’s time to match that rhetoric with policy and legislation. Allies and adversaries alike are investing heavily and are offering generous incentives to attract new facilities. While Washington debates its next steps, nations like Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Malaysia are already taking action.

Now is the time to act. If you are not a member of PCBAA, join us as we fight for our industry and our country’s economic and national security.

This column originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine.