New Senate Bill Supports Reshoring and Restoring U.S. Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing

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The Printed Circuit Board Association of America celebrates the introduction of a crucial bill that will pave the way to reshore and restore America’s printed circuit board (PCB) industry.

Over the past 30 years U.S. share of the world supply of PCBs shrunk from 30 percent to 4 percent because of offshoring. Congress is offering legislative solutions to reverse this trend.

Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced S.4569, the Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act, to incentivize domestic manufacturing of PCBs. The bill provides a 25% tax credit for the purchase or acquisition of American-made PCBs.

This bill is a companion to H.R. 3597, the Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act which also calls for the tax credit and a $3 billion grant program for support of American PCB manufacturers.

“These two bills impact both national and economic security. Every semiconductor needs a PCB to function. The challenge is that PCB production and know how has been offshored to heavily subsidized industries in Asia. This leaves American companies with the impossible task of competing with countries”, said David Schild, Executive Director of PCBAA. “We must reshore and restore this industry to reduce the reliance of other nations at the end of long and vulnerable supply chains.”

The American semiconductor industry is expanding because smart industrial policy has incentivized private investment. This legislation is the natural next step in an American manufacturing renaissance.

For more information on PCBs, go to PCBs 101.