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American Made Advocacy: PCBs in the National Spotlight

After decades of being overshadowed by the semiconductor industry, PCBs are now in the spotlight. Legislators, policymakers, and the media are paying attention, and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) and our growing list of member companies have helped make it happen.

Legislation
In May, through PCBAA-led efforts, Sens. 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 provides for a tax credit and a $3 billion grant program to support American PCB manufacturers.

Media Attention
The news media has discovered the critical role PCBs play in the technology stack in electronic devices powering everything from Apple devices to AI data centers. Reuters and Fox Business ran stories on PCBs in May, highlighting our reliance on foreign sources and how long, fragile supply chains can disrupt American manufacturing.

Also in May, CNBC produced a documentary and filmed a TTM PCB facility in Santa Ana. The story includes interviews with TTM and Sanmina executives, PCBAA’s executive director, past and present Pentagon officials, a Harvard Business School professor, and other subject matter experts. This resulted in a 15-minute broadcast segment and online story seen around the world and, most importantly, in Washington.

Membership
PCBAA started out with five members five years ago. The association is now approaching 100 members, has achieved solid recognition in Washington D.C., and has a strong social media following. Our members will gather in Washington, D.C., June 16-18, for the fifth PCBAA annual meeting. A record number of attendees will hear an impressive lineup of speakers from Congress, the Pentagon, aerospace and defense companies, the Commerce Department, and engage in networking and discussions about the PCB industry. Attendees will also spend a day on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators and their staff to educate, advocate and champion legislation that will help reshore and restore our industry.

Next month, I will report on what we heard from speakers at the Annual Meeting, as well as the challenges and opportunities we see for the second half of the year.  If you are in the PCB industry and not yet a member, sign up today, and help us reshore and restore the American PCB industry.

This column originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of I-Connect007 Magazine.