IPC, the global electronics manufacturing industry association, recently sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging them to launch a trilateral initiative to mobilize industrial base support for the continuing medical response related to COVID-19. The plan would also spur the continent’s economic recovery in the months ahead. The electronics manufacturing industry and associated suppliers support more than 5.3 million jobs across North America and partner with every other critical sector.

“The electronics industry has ramped up operations to meet surging demand for electronic components that go into ventilators, respirators, and heart and blood pressure monitors,” wrote John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, in the letter. “Even as they prioritize healthcare-related manufacturing, they are also meeting customer requirements for other critical sectors, including national security and infrastructure. Yet, manufacturers tell us that conflicting restrictions, cross-border delays, and unclear demand signals are hindering production.”

IPC called on all three governments to launch a joint North American Manufacturing Initiative comprising senior government officials and private sector leaders who are focused on strengthening the region’s manufacturing competitiveness. The initiative would further trilateral cooperation in the following areas:

• Supply chain networking
• Supply chain gaps
• Skills shortages
• Cross-border trade facilitation
• Promotion of innovation, including factories of the future
• Standards development
• Infrastructure needs

“About 80 percent of our members are small- and medium-sized companies,” Mitchell noted. “As such, our members are highly challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are enthusiastic about the North American region and eager to be part of the solution to current and future problems.”

For more information, visit www.ipc.org.