Hawley Introduces Bill to Reduce American Dependence on Chinese Technology

Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill Wednesday aimed at reducing Chinese control over technology used by the Department of Defense and its contractors.

The bill would require defense contractors to disclose where they obtained printed circuit boards, which are an essential component of most complex technology.

"A disproportionate amount of the printed circuit boards used in the Department of Defense's electronic systems come from China, where they are vulnerable to sabotage by the Chinese government," Hawley's office said.

The Protecting Critical Boards and Electronics Through Transparency and Enduring Reinvestment Act would designate federal funds to support American manufacturing of printed circuit boards.

The American printed circuit board manufacturing market is valued at $2.7 billion, a third of what it was 20 years ago.

The circuit boards are often designed in the United States but assembled in China, leaving American-made technology vulnerable to Chinese sabotage.

"Chinese printed circuit boards pose a serious threat to the integrity of America's defense systems," said Hawley.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/hawley-introduces-bill-to-reduce-american-dependence-on-chinese-technology/