Senator Josh Hawley proposed requiring contractors to tell the Pentagon whether they had embedded printed circuit boards made in Russia, China, Iran or North Korea. This follows from the bill published on April 28 on the website of the Congress.
"It is very important that we provide all the necessary tools to ensure the security of the entire electronics supply chain, so that our military can have full confidence in the weapons they rely on to protect our country," the document says.
According to the portal DefenseNews, this measure is designed to minimize the dependence of the United States on some states. According to the publication, the number of American companies producing printed circuit boards has fallen from 1,500 in 2000 to less than 200 this year. Most of this equipment is made in China.
The microelectronics supplier countries are perceived by the senator as strategic rivals that pose a "threat" to the integrity of American defense systems.
It is also proposed to establish a testing mode that will allow you to detect and fix vulnerabilities in IT systems that contain or may contain printed circuit boards manufactured in the listed countries.
On the eve of US President Joe Biden, during his first speech to Congress, said about America's competition with China and other countries for the palm in the 21st century. He noted that the United States will resist unfair trade practices that undermine the interests of American workers and industry, such as " subsidies to state-owned enterprises and the theft of American technology and intellectual property."
