In this month’s report, you will find U.S. and European data on economic growth, employment, Manufacturer’s Sentiment (PMI) and end markets for electronics.

IPC applauds the U.S. Congress for approving more than $900 billion in aid to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The package provides economic support in the form of unemployment aid, direct payments, and business loans, as well as funding for vaccines and testing.

The U.S. Congress on Monday approved $10 million for research into the issues surrounding lead-free electronics in mission-critical applications.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released proposed updates to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Fees Rule. IPC is still reviewing the proposed updates, but it appears to meaningfully address the issues that IPC has raised with the policymakers at the EPA and the White House Office of Management and Budget.

As many of you know, our big news this month is that IPC APEX EXPO will be held virtually March 8-12, 2021. We look forward to producing APEX EXPO every year, and 2021 will be no different.

Pfizer, Moderna and other companies are or are preparing to distribute their COVID-19 vaccines to U.S. states and territories. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has made recommendations on the allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine given that demand will exceed supply into mid-2021.

The IPC India offices in Bengaluru, New Delhi, and Chennai represent all facets of the electronics industry including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly, and testing. IPC India welcomed a new Executive Director, Gaurab Majumdar, earlier this year. Executive Briefing staff asked Gaurab to share his plans for IPC India.

This morning, the U.S. Treasury Department released its long-awaited report on the foreign currency exchange policies of U.S. trading partners. While the U.S. placed ten countries on their monitoring list for potential violations, the report determined that Vietnam and Switzerland met the criteria to be designated as currency manipulators.

If there is one takeaway from 2020, it’s that “business as usual” is in the rearview mirror. Supply chain disruptions associated with the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing global recession have illustrated the shortsightedness of longstanding U.S. policy that has prioritized the growth of global trade over the resiliency of U.S. manufacturing.

John Mitchell, IPC President and CEO, issues statement on today’s vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to approve the final version of the Fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).