Standard of Excellence: The Human Touch in an Automated World
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
Global Sourcing Spotlight: How to Evaluate Supplier Capabilities Worldwide
The Hidden Geography of Electronics: Rethinking Trade, Inputs, and Strategic Advantage
August 27, 2025 | Dr. Shawn DuBravac, Global Electronics AssociationEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Beneath the surface of debates about reshoring, tariffs, and supply chain resilience lies a deeper reality: Global electronics manufacturing is increasingly driven by the flow of inputs, not just the shipment of final goods.
Electronics manufacturing is not just global; it is globally interdependent. In 2023 (the most recent data available), electronics trade reached $4.4 trillion, accounting for more than 20% of total global merchandise trade. This figure reflects not only strong consumer demand for smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles, but also the dense web of international transactions behind each finished product.
Electronic components such as semiconductors, circuit boards, connectors, sensors, and batteries now account for most trade in the electronics sector. This dynamic has accelerated in recent years, reflecting the growing complexity of both devices and supply chains.
In 2023, global trade in electronics inputs exceeded trade in finished electronics by more than $400 billion. As products become more technologically advanced, they require a larger number of specialized parts, many produced in only a handful of locations. The result is a supply chain that is highly fragmented, deeply layered, and tightly interconnected across borders.
This interdependence is structural. No country controls the entire value chain, and efforts to achieve “technological self-sufficiency” must reckon with the deep-rooted realities of global specialization. For companies and policymakers, understanding this hidden geography is essential. Resilience may depend less on isolation and more on how interdependence is managed.
Continue reading this article in the Summer 2025 issue of Community Magazine.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
North American EMS Industry Shipments Down 4.1% in July
08/27/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association announced today the July 2025 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.23.
Coming Soon: The Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest
08/27/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007The upcoming Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest is a curated, condensed monthly publication designed to keep you informed and engaged with the fast-moving world of advanced electronics packaging (AEP). In our inaugural September issue, we will begin at the foundation with an in-depth interview featuring Matt Kelly, CTO of the Global Electronics Association. Kelly and his Technology Solutions Team approach advanced packaging from a holistic systems perspective.
Standard of Friendship: Debbie McDade and Symon Franklin Went From Classmates to Colleagues
08/27/2025 | Debbie McDade, Advanced Rework Technology Ltd.As a fairly new IPC Master Trainer, I nervously attended my first IPC committee meeting in 2002 in New Orleans—a 4,600-mile trip from my home in the UK—for the IPC-610 Task Group. With more than 250 members, it was the largest IPC committee at that time.
Cirrus Logic, GlobalFoundries Expand Strategic Investment to Advance Next-Generation Mixed-Signal Semiconductor Manufacturing in the U.S.
08/25/2025 | GlobalFoundriesCirrus Logic, a leading provider of high-performance audio and mixed-signal semiconductor solutions, announced the expansion of its long-standing relationship with GlobalFoundries (GF) – one of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers.
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
08/25/2025 | Chris Mitchell -- Column: The Government CircuitAs global trade winds continue to howl, the electronics manufacturing industry finds itself at a critical juncture. After months of warnings, the U.S. Government has implemented a broad array of tariff increases, with fresh duties hitting copper-based products, semiconductors, and imports from many nations. On the positive side, tentative trade agreements with Europe, China, Japan, and other nations are providing at least some clarity and counterbalance.