Скачать или смотреть 5 issues with Biden's plan for semiconductors

The production of tiny semiconductors, one of the most critical products in the world, is a chokepoint because nearly 90 percent of them are made by a handful of companies in Asia. A bipartisan chorus in Washington — including President Joe Biden — says American dependence on just these few sources for its economy and its military is dangerous. An ongoing shortage of chips — due partly to a pandemic-driven surge in computer usage — that has hobbled the U.S. automotive industry had strengthened their case.

"As the global economy grows more interconnected, it is imperative that the U.S. reestablish leadership in the strategically important semiconductor industry,” California Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui said in a statement. “The future of innovation in 5G networks, healthcare, and computing will hinge on the availability of state-of-the-art semiconductors from trusted sources.”

But rebuilding the U.S. chip-making industry will not be easy or cheap. The United States is far behind in the race and may never catch up, some say, and yet Washington is poised to spend some $37 billion this year alone, without first developing a strategy and a plan for achieving it, the critics argue.

Supporters of the new subsidies counter that the issue has been studied to death and that so-called CHIPS Act legislation passed last year in the fiscal 2021 defense authorization act is a great start to solving the problem.

The debate is about to heat up.

Website: http://www.rollcall.com
Follow us:   / rollcall  
Like us:   / rollcall  
Instagram: RollCall