US Chip Industry Sees Niche to Beat China, if Only Congress Acts

The US is uniquely positioned to achieve self-sufficiency in the packaging of the fastest, smallest, and most energy-efficient semiconductors if Congress acts fast, industry officials said.

Legislation being negotiated now would spend roughly $50 billion in the research, development, and manufacturing of semiconductors. Although policymakers have focused on the creation of the chips themselves, industry officials say quick action on the measure could bolster the US’s nascent production of back-end hardware needed to put the chips to use.

Advanced semiconductor chips have enabled innovations worth trillions of dollars and power the products key to the country’s national security and critical ...