Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1443477
72 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2022 If you spent the holidays searching in vain for a present, waiting days for a rental car, or won- dering why your package was still "in transit," you're not alone. Millions of Americans feel the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many are starting to appreciate the way advanced electronic components underpin our way of life. Shortages of everything that run on elec- tronics (and these days, what doesn't?) have disrupted life in ways that were hard to imag- ine just a few years ago. Facing an anxious public, Congress and the current administration are pushing for invest- ment in domestic semiconductor manufac- turing to reduce our dependence on overseas manufacturing. e nearly $52 billion CHIPS Act is a welcome start, but it's not the end of the story. Truly "building back better" requires that policymakers consider the entire supply chain. at's where a new focus on printed circuit boards is required, and a new voice for that industry is needed. PCBs are a $60 billion global industry that over the past 20 years has moved away from the United States at an alarming rate. At one time, the U.S. produced over 26% of the world's PCBs. Today that number is down to 4% and the number of domestic PCB manufacturers has decreased from 2,500 to only 145 compa- nies. As COVID-19 brought into vivid focus, A Voice in Washington for American-Made PCBs American Made Advocacy NEW COLUMN: by Travis Kelly, PCBAA