There Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), the organization representing the major chip makers in the United States (Intel, AMD, Micron, etc.), has asked governments around the world to do not impose restrictive measures on the activities of the companies in the sector and the related supply chain as a measure to stop the spread of Coronavirus.
In a blog post of the association we read that the members of the association "ask the governments of the world, at all levels – central, states / provinces and local – to give priority to continuity of operations for national semiconductor companies and their suppliers", defining the semiconductor industry and its supply chain as"essential infrastructure and / or essential business".
SIA explains that it is working with, for example, the United States Department of National Security to refine the guidelines sent to states and local authorities last week. The handbook indicates chip production as a essential business as it supports the information technology sector, increasingly crucial with millions of people forced to work and / or study from home.
John Neuffer, the group's president, also mentioned how the chips perform a vital role in medical devices, electricity networks and other necessary infrastructure. "Ensuring the continuity of semiconductor manufacturers and related supply chains is necessary to support the ever wider range of services that will be digitized in the coming weeks and months," he wrote. "Since the semiconductor supply chain is highly globalized, semiconductor deficiencies created by operational restrictions in one region cannot easily be compensated for by production in other regions".
At the moment, it must be said, there are no semiconductor companies in the United States or in other parts of the world that have had to slow down production significantly. Intel, for example, is working hard at best. Micron instead said that he had to carefully manage the raw materials and the supply chain to maintain production, explaining how in Malaysia some sites were briefly closed before the authorities declared the plants of essential work activities. However, production in these factories has suffered repercussions and is currently limited to comply with government regulations.