Washington, D.C. – IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) this week called on the U.S. Department of Commerce to clarify its plans for bolstering the domestic development and fabrication of advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs) as a key part of the CHIPS for America program.
In a letter (see link below) to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell and PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly acknowledged recent government actions in support of PCBs:
- 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.
- In launching the first round of funding under the CHIPS for America program, Secretary Raimondo stated that the U.S. will become a global leader in related chip packaging technologies.
- The week before that, Secretary Raimondo confirmed that some of the CHIPS funding will go to “smaller firms,” including “circuit-board companies.”
Further action, including language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) thats addresses COTs supply chains and a stand-alone bill (The PCBS Act) are necessary to continue the work that the CHIPs Act began. Now is the time for Congress and the Biden Administration to work together and build a secure and resilient microelectronics ecosystem.
