The Decline of US Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing: A National Security Crisis

The US is facing a critical shortage of printed circuit board manufacturers, with only four remaining in Massachusetts, according to Gene Weiner, founder of Weiner International Associates. This decline not only affects the state, but also the nation's technological dominance and national security. Printed circuit boards, the backbone of electronic devices, were once a thriving industry in New England, with Massachusetts alone hosting 17 manufacturers. However, the industry has been decimated by foreign competitors, with over half of the world's printed circuit boards now made in China.The US manufactures only 4% of the world's printed circuit boards, down from 30% in 2000. The few remaining manufacturers rely heavily on the US military, which bans the use of Chinese-made circuit boards in military gear. The Biden administration's $52 billion investment in US computer chip manufacturing may have limited impact without a similar revival in circuit-board manufacturing. The national security implications of maintaining reliable and secure sources of printed circuit boards have garnered bipartisan support for aiding domestic manufacturers. However, the industry faces a significant challenge in finding skilled workers, as the contraction of manufacturing has shrunk the pool of technicians and engineers needed to