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Legislation Introduced to Restore America's Printed Circuit Board Industry after Two Decades of Decline

TheLostSwede

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The bipartisan Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act of 2023 introduced by Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT-1) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16) finishes the job the CHIPS Act began by incentivizing investment in the domestic printed circuit board (PCB) industry. This bill is a necessary follow-on to the CHIPS Act: without a trusted, reliable domestic source of PCBs and substrates, computer chips don't connect to end use electronic devices.

Domestic PCB production shrunk over the past 20 years, falling from 30% to barely 4% of the world's supply. Ninety percent of the world's supply now comes from Asia…56% in China alone.




Major provisions of the bill:
  • $3 billion to fund factory construction, workforce development and R&D
  • A 25% tax credit for purchasers of American-made PCBs and substrates

"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," said Congressman Blake Moore. "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. The progress we have made on semiconductors is a significant step in the right direction, but congressional support for the entire microelectronics ecosystem is needed to reduce reliance on China. I am grateful to reintroduce this bill with Congresswoman Eshoo and am hopeful this bipartisan effort will successfully move through the legislative process."

"Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are critical components of almost every piece of electronics used today. However, 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% 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, which is exactly what my bipartisan bill does," said Rep. Eshoo.

"Remember, chips don't float. They need PCBs to connect to any electronic device. With production of American-made semiconductors ramping up, PCBs are a key ingredient in revitalizing the nation's microelectronics ecosystem. Without a robust domestic supply chain, we have become almost entirely reliant on foreign suppliers for the PCBs we need," said Travis Kelly, Chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America.

PCBAA President Will Marsh said, "Our industry is grateful for this bipartisan support for American-made microelectronics. This is the right response to years of offshoring and a dangerous dependence on foreign sourcing."

PCBAA Executive Director David Schild said, "From F-35s to F-150s, the modern world is built on printed circuit boards, and we need to make more of them in America. This bill will lead to new factories, high paying jobs and an ecosystem to support the work being done by our colleagues in the semiconductor industry."

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Let me guess....another big corporate handout without any requirements or demands placed upon those receiving the money?

"Our industry is grateful for this bipartisan support for American-made microelectronics. This is the right response to years of offshoring and a dangerous dependence on foreign sourcing."
.
Offshoring YOUR industry performed all in the quest for higher profits at any cost.
 
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It has to start somewhere, somehow. The beginning of domestic PCB manufacturing...who will the companies be that take advantage of the kickstart?
 

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People make a stink all the time over serf labor conditions and pay in parts of Asia for electronics (especially in mobile devices), but if it comes to paying an increase for a product made in the USA then it's a premium and overpriced because workers need a living wage. You cannot have both low price products and a living wage for laborers; pick a side. I, for one, would be very happy if I could order custom PCB's domestically with the ease that JLC PCB and PCBWay have setup. Just did a cursory search of "USA pcb custom manufacturing" and the top hits for domestic have an email quote system instead of the easy upload files and order that the other two have.
 
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Probably no one would search for them if they put the prices openly visible on a website. On the other hand, one cannot judge by the prices for making "unique", single pieces. However, a large portion of Americans who can still afford to buy computers often once the components begin to be manufactured in the US may become out of reach for many. It will become the same as it is today with health care, only billionaires will be able to use it with cash payment, not caring if they have health insurance.
 
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It will probably slightly increase the price of electronics, it would be smarter to have suppliers in more countries instead of just centralizing everything in China or internally.

You have to live in the real world, your electronics will compete with those produced elsewhere that will certainly use components from cheaper suppliers, not all products have a premium margin. And yes, everything in the US is more expensive, the psychological price tag of everything has been set in the sky and the cost of living follows suit.
 
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A 25% tax credit for purchasers of American-made PCBs and substrates
PURCHASERS, i.e., bulk purchasers or actual PCBs and substrates, not customers of final products.
 
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And will the tax credit be passed on to the consumer by bulk purchasers? "A 25% tax credit for purchasers of American-made PCBs and substrates"

I would like to see the conditions, if any are imposed on getting that tax credit.

Also, would be interesting to know how they reached the number of 25%, are they basing that on union, energy costs vs. what Chinese companies pay for labor/energy to run the plants? Or did some buerocrat who was late for lunch decided 25% sounded like a win.
 
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At that to better right to repair regulations and we might slowly climb out of the break and replace mindset we've been in since the late eighties.
 
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So we tax the income of American circuitboard makers and then give some of the money back to them just because they're making circuitboards? Wouldn't it make more sense to not tax them in the first place? Or put tariffs on imported boards to equalize the taxes?
 
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So we tax the income of American circuitboard makers and then give some of the money back to them just because they're making circuitboards? Wouldn't it make more sense to not tax them in the first place? Or put tariffs on imported boards to equalize the taxes?
Hmm, you talk about a riot. So everyone else should pay taxes, but not for these dudes. Imposition of more import charges, it will be paid as always by the end users. Are you ready for such a sacrifice? We in Europe, in addition to high rates of VAT, also pay for border rates for the import of goods from countries outside the EU, which raises the prices of hardware to crazy levels. Especially about the 25% subsidy and I wonder how legal it is and if it does not violate the free market and competition.
 
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Hmm, you talk about a riot. So everyone else should pay taxes, but not for these dudes. Imposition of more import charges, it will be paid as always by the end users. Are you ready for such a sacrifice? We in Europe, in addition to high rates of VAT, also pay for border rates for the import of goods from countries outside the EU, which raises the prices of hardware to crazy levels. Especially about the 25% subsidy and I wonder how legal it is and if it does not violate the free market and competition.
Through income taxes the US taxes everything produced domestically at like 25%. Income tax applies not only to the employees but also to profits. Consumers are paying for this, but they like to avoid that tax by buying foreign-made products. Arrangements like the CHIPS Act are paid for by these same taxes or through inflation, so I don't see a difference in cost but tariffs are easier to implement and harder to use as favors for political donors.
 
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Venture capitalism ftw............right!??!
 

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Fuckin h8rs
 

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If the initial startup money is not enough to build a sustainable business, are they going to subsidize it perpetually? Solyndra comes to mind.
 
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If the initial startup money is not enough to build a sustainable business, are they going to subsidize it perpetually? Solyndra comes to mind.
Some industry you want to keep around for strategic reasons.
a classic one would be steel production since you do not want to be without domestic steel in case of war.

as for solyndra and the whole alternative energy racket… that’s just political
 

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Some industry you want to keep around for strategic reasons.
a classic one would be steel production since you do not want to be without domestic steel in case of war.

as for solyndra and the whole alternative energy racket… that’s just political
New world order
 

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Ah yes, pay the premium just to be "made in America". What a great idea :rolleyes:

Western counrty's need their own supply regardless to price, and if western county's stopped paying good part of the shipping cost from places like China.

As seen as China just said there is no poverty there any more **.
 
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Let me guess....another big corporate handout without any requirements or demands placed upon those receiving the money?

"Our industry is grateful for this bipartisan support for American-made microelectronics. This is the right response to years of offshoring and a dangerous dependence on foreign sourcing."
.
Offshoring YOUR industry performed all in the quest for higher profits at any cost.
Some business classes may help you understand how government meddling has created many of Americas industrial and economic issues.
 
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Some business classes may help you understand how government meddling has created many of Americas industrial and economic issues.
I've taken plenty thanks. It just helped me realize the opposite.
 
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I've taken plenty thanks. It just helped me realize the opposite.
Oh...so government has no role in driving business out...should government be in control of business?...the answer may help me understand your views on the subject a little more clearly.
 
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Oh...so government has no role in driving business out...should government be in control of business?...the answer may help me understand your views on the subject a little more clearly.
No, government can certainly drive business out. Government should be in charge of setting sensible boundries for business but certainly not control it.

Neither of these really happen in America in my view. Big business has more control of the government than the other way around, in the modern climate.

I don't really believe discussing this further is possible within the rules, sorry.
 
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