Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are negotiating to begin conference on the China package this work period, a Senate aide said by email. The work period is scheduled to end April 8.
CHIPS Act
The CHIPS and Science Act is a U.S. law signed by President Biden in August 2022. The act authorized approximately $280 billion in funding for domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors. It included $39 billion to subsidize chip manufacturing in the U.S. and a 25% tax credit for the cost of manufacturing equipment. The bill provided $13 billion for semiconductor research and workforce training. It also invested $174 billion in public sector research in science and technology. The bill was intended to strengthen the resilience of American supply chains and to counter China.
Twenty-one technology, auto and business groups urged the House and Senate to quickly negotiate a compromise for their China competition bills that would authorize funding for the Chips Act and other domestic semiconductor sector investments. The Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate and House should “take immediate action to reconcile the two bills” and send a passed version to President Joe Biden, the groups said in a Feb. 16 letter signed by the Semiconductor Industry Association, SEMI, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Automotive Policy Council and others.
The European Commission announced plans this week to increase investments and incentives for its semiconductor industry and establish a more reliable chip supply chain to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. The plans also could lead to more export control measures over sensitive chip products in response to domestic shortages or unfair foreign trade policies.
The House voted 222-210 last week to pass its China competition bill, which includes a variety of provisions that could expand U.S. export controls, sanctions and investment screening authorities. Although the America Competes Act faced objections from Republicans who argued it wasn’t tough enough on China and didn’t include strong enough export control measures (see 2202020039), several provisions could lead to more China sanctions and further restrict exports of critical American technologies.
More than 50 technology and auto companies urged congressional leaders to fund the CHIPS for America Act and pass a “strengthened version” of the Facilitating American Built Semiconductors Act, saying they would provide a much-needed boost to the U.S. semiconductor industry amid the global chip shortage. The companies -- including Apple, Microsoft, Ford, IBM and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) -- said chip demand has “outstripped supply, creating a global chip shortage and resulting in lost growth and jobs in the economy.” It has also “exposed vulnerabilities in the semiconductor supply chain,” they said, which has highlighted the need for a more robust chip manufacturing base in the U.S.
The U.S. should continue to impose export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and machinery but be careful about restricting sales of finished semiconductor products to China, Chinese economics and technology policy experts said. Controls on finished products may risk hurting U.S. semiconductor exporters and would not stop China from importing those goods elsewhere, they said.
New draft text of Congress’ Build Back Better Act budget reconciliation bill includes a tax credit to incentivize advanced semiconductor manufacturing, which would help “strengthen” U.S. supply chains, the Semiconductor Industry Association said Oct. 28. The incentive, included in the reconciliation package released by congressional Democrats Oct. 28, would create an investment tax credit of up to 25% for certain “advanced manufacturing facilities” and a tax credit for certain “eligible components.” The credit would specifically be available for “property for the manufacturing of semiconductors and semiconductor tooling equipment” that begins construction before 2027. The package hasn’t yet received a vote.
Tariffs imposed on goods from China during the previous administration likely contributed to the ongoing chip shortage, though an increasing demand and port congestion are bigger factors, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said. Speaking during an Oct. 20 event hosted by The Washington Post, both underscored the severity of the supply chain crisis and said lawmakers should move faster to pass legislation that would provide more funding to the semiconductor industry.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is “very busy” working to implement the semiconductor supply chain recommendations (see 2107140047) that arose from President Joe Biden’s February executive order (see 2102240068), including directives to pursue more collaboration with industry and a review of export controls and investment restrictions, a senior BIS official said. Sahar Hafeez, a senior adviser at BIS, said the agency will continue implementing those recommendations “in the weeks and months ahead.”
The U.S. shouldn’t rely on export controls on semiconductors to stay ahead of China because the strategy would likely “backfire,” a former Department of Defense official told Congress this week. Lisa Porter, the former deputy undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said government intervention in supply chains can “distort the market in ways that are hard to predict” and could lead to unintended consequences for the microelectronics industry.