PCBAA at 5: Bigger, Better and Facing a Deadline
Why shouldn’t “China Plus One” include the US?
The Printed Circuit Board Association of America is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, having grown from five founding fabricators to more than 90 members spanning the full ecosystem – raw materials, fabrication, assembly, design and OEMs – including recent additions Neros, Trace and Zenode.
Executive Director David Schild credits the growth with expanding PCBAA’s footprint on Capitol Hill from five congressional relationships to a presence across 36 states.
The group’s most pressing near-term priority is Section 851, the five-year-old mandate to purge Russian, Iranian, North Korean and Chinese PCBs from dual-use and COTS applications in Pentagon supply chains. With implementation set for January 1, 2027, the public comment period runs through August 31, and PCBAA is pushing members to weigh in against any delay or dilution.
Schild points to the Department of War’s new “Rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom” investment map, which highlights DPA-funded HDI/UHDI facilities in Calumet, MI; Charleston, SC; and Eau Claire, WI. Longer-term, he’s framing the fight in market-share terms: US PCB share of global market value has fallen from 30% to 4%, and PCBAA believes that sound policy can reverse it.
Schild also warns against complacency about “China Plus One” diversification, noting that Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are courting manufacturers relocating from China more aggressively than the US. Why shouldn’t Santa Ana, CA, or Camden, SC, become the Plus One?
A Domestic-Facing Mission
Indeed, domestic supply chain resiliency is fundamental to the PCBAA’s mission, which includes rebuilding US PCB and PCBA capacity, restoring capability, and returning strategic independence.
PCBAA is pursuing this through policy advocacy, industry messaging, and support for domestic investments and partnerships. The organization is bending the curve of the North American electronics manufacturing trajectory.
Those interested in learning more should visit pcbaa.org.End of article content
Dan Beaulieu is a longtime management consultant to the printed circuit industry and a member of the PCBAA; danbbeaulieu@aol.com.