Reps. Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., and Blake Moore, R-Utah, have introduced legislation to bolster the production of U.S.-made printed circuit boards (PCB) and to strengthen related supply chain security.
The Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act would strengthen the production and distribution of PCBs within the U.S. manufacturing sector. The bill would complement semiconductor incentives by encouraging domestic PCB manufacturing and research and development to reduce supply chain disruptions, address national security concerns related to foreign PCB production, and further enhance America’s economic leadership.
The bill, according to the lawmakers, would serve as an incentive for American companies to manufacture PCBs – which are used to power a multitude of electronic devices.
If it becomes law, the measure would:
- Establish a financial assistance program, modeled on the CHIPS Act, within the Commerce Department for American facilities manufacturing or researching PCBs; and
- Provide a tax credit for entities that purchase American-manufactured PCBs.
“The supply chain shortages for electronics are affecting every aspect of American life. PCBs are a critical part of that supply chain and are at risk of tampering with vulnerabilities related to offshore production, yet the U.S. global production share of PCBs is only approximately four percent, compared to China’s 52 percent,” Rep. Eshoo said.
“If we want to ensure technological superiority across the global stage and strengthen national security, we need to bring PCB production back to America, which is exactly what my bipartisan bill does,” she said in a press release.
“The Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act will help usher in a new era of American manufacturing. This bill will not only maintain the integrity of military and national security commercial materials, but it will also fuel the resurgence of American manufacturing through incentivizing the purchase and production of domestically-sourced printed circuit boards,” said Rep. Moore.
This new bipartisan legislation falls in line with other measures aimed at promoting U.S.-made PCB manufacturing and other critical electronic input materials.
