IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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106 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2026 A M E R I CA N M A D E A DVO CACY In 2026, the global PCB industry will see strong growth driven by data centers and the global race to create the most powerful artificial intel- ligence, along with the increased sophistication and production scale manufacturing of defense and infrastructure systems. Automotive technol- ogy innovations, the acceleration of unmanned systems production, and the continued prolifera- tion of smart devices are also among the market forces driving global demand for microelectronics in general and PCBs in particular. PCBs are integrated into every electronic tech- nology and system, serving as the foundational building block for the microelectronic technology stack. It is both a national and economic security imperative that our domestic PCB industry is posi- tioned forward to meet the moment. Our domestic PCB industry has been decimated over the past several decades due to the offshor- ing of manufacturing to (primarily) China. As we aggregate the many increased demand signals, it is clear that U.S. PCB manufacturing cannot keep pace. This capacity deficit drives sourcing to other nations that are investing heavily in their own PCB industries. China, of course, leads the league with about 60% of the world's supply. The governments of Thailand, Vietnam, and India are all investing billions in PCB manufacturing to capitalize on the "China plus one" trend. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has not made a similar investment in PCBs. Semiconductors got a boost through the CHIPS Act and follow-on private investment activity, but American PCB manufactur- ing capacity is largely stagnant while other coun- tries are gearing up to grow with explosive global demand. Congress needs to take on the challenge of restoring American PCB manufacturing with the same vigor that they supported semiconduc- tors. As we speak with congressional staffers and members on Capitol Hill, we find that many don't understand that chips require PCBs to func- BY S H A N E W H I T E S I D E , P C B A A How Congress Can Restore the U.S. PCB Industry