| | | U.S. lawmakers propose $22.8 billion in aid to semiconductor industry
JUNE 10, 2020 / 4:42 PM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
Stephen Nellis
3 MIN READ
(Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bill to provide more than $22.8 billion in aid for semiconductor manufacturers, aiming to spur the construction of chip factories in America amid a strategic technology rivalry with China.
Chip factories can cost up to $15 billion to build, with much of the expense in the form of pricey tools. The proposal would create a 40% refundable income tax credit for semiconductor equipment, $10 billion in federal funds to match state incentives to build factories, and $12 billion in research and development funding.
It would authorize the Defense Department to use funding under the Defense Production Act to “establish and enhance a domestic semiconductor production capability.” While a network of “trusted foundries” exists in the United States to help supply chips to the U.S. government, many chips must still be sourced from Asia.
Senators John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, and Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, introduced the bill in the Senate. Aides to Representatives Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, and Doris Matsui, a California Democrat, said the two planned to introduce a version in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday.
While some U.S. firms such as Intel Corp and Micron Technology Inc still make chips in the United States, the industry’s center of gravity has shifted to Asia, where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has more than half of the overall market for contract manufacturing chips and an even stronger hold on the most advanced chips.
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