Electronics Manufacturing Industry Praises U.S. Government Report on ICT Supply Chain; Biden Administration Recognizes Crucial Role of Printed Circuit Boards and Printed Circuit Board Assemblies

The electronics manufacturing industry is applauding a set of U.S. Government reports on strategic supply chains, released today, which highlight the need for the United States to foster a robust domestic electronics manufacturing industry.

IPC President and CEO John Mitchell said, “Electronics are critical to every sector of the modern economy, but the United States has allowed its domestic electronics manufacturing industry to wither, leaving the country dangerously exposed to supply chain shocks. We appreciate the Biden administration’s recognition of this problem and its leadership to begin marshaling federal resources to address it.”

The reports published today are an outgrowth of the Biden administration’s policy reviews of what can be done to bolster and secure strategically important supply chains. While much of the attention in the electronics arena has focused on semiconductors, the administration has now officially recognized the need to rebuild the entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem, including printed circuit boards (PCBs), PCB assemblies (PCBAs), critical minerals, “advanced packaging” of multichip modules and substrates, and skilled workers.  

Recent IPC studies have urged Congress to combine its investments in semiconductor manufacturing with additional support for advanced packaging, PCBs, and related technologies. Without such action, even if the U.S. begins to produce more semiconductors, the chips would still need to be sent offshore to be packaged and assembled into finished products, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to supply chain shocks.

Adds Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president of global government relations, “While the U.S. has allowed its domestic electronics industries to atrophy, America’s competitors have invested heavily in theirs. These reports are another step in a long-term effort to rebuild this crucial industry in the United States.”