Blinken Announces Initiative to ‘Turbocharge’ Semiconductor Capacity in Western Hemisphere
© AP Photo / Jenny KaneThe inside of a computer
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© AP Photo / Jenny Kane
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday a new initiative to boost the capacity of the semiconductor industry in the Western hemisphere, with the first projects taking place in Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica.
"Today, I'm happy to announce one such effort, the Western Hemisphere semiconductor initiative, thanks to funding from the bipartisan Chips Act. This initiative will turbocharge countries’ capacity to assemble, test and package semiconductors, beginning with Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica," Blinken said in his opening remarks at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity ministerial plenary meeting.
The United States will hold a symposium in Mexico in September to identify ways to develop a larger role for the region in the global supply chain for semiconductors, Blinken added.
In March, the US State Department said that the United States and Mexico will collaborate on efforts to diversify the supply chain of semiconductor chips.
The Biden administration aims to have US facilities produce 20% of the world's high-end chips by 2030. The effort began after a semiconductor shortage during the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted the production of goods including computers, cars, appliances, smartphones and video games.