Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1521713
64 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2024 was to bring together government agencies, the Defense Industrial Base, and industry mem- bers in the advanced packaging and assembly sector to discuss strategies for onshoring man- ufacturing of advanced electronics packaging. Within the private sector, Calumet Electronics has recently announced substantial upgrades in its PCB manufacturing capability at its Michigan campus: a 200,000-square-foot facil- ity boasting state-of-the-art PCB manufactur- ing equipment. From government initiatives to manufactur- ing advancements made in the private sector, onshoring PCB manufacturing remains a crit- ical priority. However, because 100% onshor- ing of PCB manufac- turing would be diffi- cult to achieve in the immediate future, one tangible goal is "near- shoring," or diversify- ing to where manufac- turing and assembly are happening. To this end, nearshor ing involves relocating production facilities to neighbor- ing countries or regions in proximity. Benefits to nearshoring include reduced transportation costs, shorter lead times, higher quality con- trol and protection of intellectual property, and reduced reliance on imports from one par- ticular foreign entity. Because of this, Mexico has become a stron- ger candidate in recent years for nearshor- ing electronics manufacturing. Mexico's close geographic proximity to the United States and competitive labor costs make it an attractive option for corporations that aim to diversify their manufacturing operations. In 2020, Mexico also signed the United States– Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade agreement that granted higher IP protec- tion than its predecessor (the North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA) and con- tinued the barring of import tariffs between Mexico and the U.S. Finally, the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China are expected to solidify Mexico's status as a prime nearshor- ing destination in the coming decade. In fact, for the first time in 20 years, Mexico has sur- passed China as the largest supplier to the United States. As of 2023, U.S. imports from Mexico rose to $475.6 billion while imports from China fell to $427.2 billion 1 . Some global market intelligence projects that the trend will continue, projecting that U.S. imports from Mex- ico will surpass $600 bil- lion by the end of this decade. One PCBA manufac- turing company that has already hopped onto the nearshoring train is Mac- roFab. Leveraging facili- ties across North Amer- ica, MacroFab offers a complete solution for electronics manufactur- ing, including prototyp- ing ser vices, full-scale production, sourcing , and aermarket services. eir recently expanded 45,000-square-foot facility near Guadalajara, coupled with nearly seven years of experience navigating Mexico's trade laws, ensures a smooth and hassle-free experience. "MacroFab's strength lies in the combination of our comprehensive technol- ogy platform combined with our North Amer- ican factory network," says Muirae Kenney, content manager at MacroFab, who explains that MacroFab's technology platform is analo- gous to an Amazon experience in that it allows external partners to control the entire PCB design experience while MacroFab connects their customers' jobs with the right factory