North American countries will take steps to beef up the semiconductor industry

The United States, Mexico, and Canada will take steps to beef up the North American semiconductor industry, the White House said earlier last month, as the three countries try to fix a dispute over Mexico’s energy policies that worries investors.

In a statement ahead of a North American leaders’ summit in Mexico City, the White House said the three countries would in early 2023 organize a semiconductor forum to increase investment in the strategic hi-tech industry.

This, according to the statement, would mean coordinating semiconductor supply chain mapping to identify needs and investment opportunities in making chips that are used in everything from telecoms to carmaking and defense.

The three governments would also step up cooperation to root out lethal drug smuggling and improve legal pathways for migrants, the White House said.

The semiconductor industry has long been dominated by Asia, and disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc among North American supply chains.

Mexico’s hopes of benefiting from the push to boost semiconductor output have been undermined by the energy dispute, with Washington and Ottawa complaining that Mexican policies are putting their investors at a disadvantage.

Hopefully, Mexico, Canada and the US will find a “mutually acceptable resolution” to the dispute.

TYT Newsroom