Measure eyes printed circuit board production, bolstered supply chain security

U.S. Reps. Blake Moore (R-UT) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) have reintroduced legislation they maintain would enhance domestic printed circuit board (PCB) production while strengthening supply chain security.

Moore and Eshoo recently detailed the Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act, indicating it 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 bolster the nation’s economic leadership.

“Now is the moment for Congress to take decisive action by furthering robust legislation to reshore our manufacturing, strengthen our supply chains, and prioritize national security,” Moore said. “The Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act provides a tried and true approach to incentivizing American companies to produce printed circuit boards here at home, which will maintain the integrity of military and national security commercial materials, boost our economy and workforce, and usher in a new era of American manufacturing.”

Moore said semiconductor progress represents a step in the right direction, but congressional support for the microelectronics ecosystem is needed to reduce reliance on China.

Bill provisions include providing a 25 percent tax credit for the purchase or acquisition of American-made PCBs, establishing a financial assistance program for American facilities manufacturing or researching PCBs, and requiring a Presidential determination for single financial awards over $150 million.

“Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are critical components of almost every piece of electronics used today,” Eshoo said. “Over the past two decades, a vast majority of PCB manufacturing has moved offshore, making PCBs vulnerable to tampering by foreign adversaries, and only 4 percent of PCBs are manufactured in the United States. If we want to ensure technological superiority across the global stage and strengthen national security, we need to bring PCB production back to America.”