In a bid to address growing national security concerns stemming from the use of Chinese-sourced chips, the U.S. Department of Commerce has announced its intention to launch a comprehensive survey of the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and the national defense industrial base.
The survey’s primary objective is to discern how U.S. companies are procuring “legacy chips,” which encompass current-generation and mature-node semiconductors. This initiative comes in conjunction with the department’s plans to allocate nearly $40 billion in subsidies to support semiconductor chip manufacturing within the United States.
Highlighting the imperative of reducing national security risks linked to China, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated, “Over the last few years, we’ve seen potential signs of concerning practices from (China) to expand their firms’ legacy chip production and make it harder for U.S. companies to compete.”
Scheduled to commence in January, the survey aims to bolster national security by gaining comprehensive insights into the semiconductor supply chain and its reliance on Chinese-sourced components. This initiative underscores the United States’ commitment to safeguarding its technological infrastructure and ensuring the resilience of its semiconductor industry.
