Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1532533
As anyone knows who follows the microelec- tronics supply chain, the CHIPS Act missed substrates and PCBs. As you know, "chips don't float." To function, semiconductors need substrates and PCBs. e new SCALE tool released by the Depart- ment in September uses 41 different sensors to detect vulnerabilities in supply chains across industries. ey identified low sustainability for printed circuit boards, meaning that few, if any, alternatives are available if the supply chain is disrupted. e new team at Commerce has a tremendous opportunity to address this criti- cal gap in the microelectronics supply chain. Unless America builds out the entire technol- ogy stack—chips, substrates, and PCBs—we will remain dependent on brittle supply chains and foreign nations for the technologies that power our economy. At the White House e second Trump administration prom- ises to be ver y different than the first. Indi- cations are that there will be an early focus on policies that affect the global competi- tive economic environment. American com- panies have struggled to compete with coun- tries that subsidize their PCB industries. We welcome a focus on American manufacturing coupled with a wait-and-see attitude on tariffs and trade restrictions. We continue to believe that incentives are the most powerful tool to bring back and expand America's PCB capac- ity. We look forward to working with the Trump administration to make PCBs in America again. On Capitol Hill e new Republican majorities in the House and Senate are focused on early victories for President Trump, especially in the tax arena. e Ways & Means Committee, under Chair Jason Smith, is building a massive legislative package to extend individual and cor- porate tax cuts during the first 100 days of this new administration. is is an opportunity for American-made PCBs. We have long advocated for a 25% tax credit for those purchasing PCBs made in America. is would create a strong demand signal visible to suppliers, OEMs, and inves- tors. at's why a group of executives from PCBAA and IPC member companies recently gathered in Washington, D.C., to lobby law- makers and emphasize the opportunity for tax incentives that would transform the domestic PCB market. In times of major shis in government focus, it's important for industries like ours to stand united and advocate for policies that will bene- fit our customers, consumers, and our national security. I'm confident that if our industry is organized and presents a united front to leg- islators and policymakers, their decisions will move markets. We must stay focused and con- sistent in our messaging which will ensure that we win the understanding and support of the new administration. If you are ready to get off the sidelines and join this fight, I'm eager to speak with you. PCB007 Shane Whiteside is president and CEO of Summit Interconnect and current chair of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. To read past columns, click here. 48 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2025