Atlanta — Following the Supreme Court's invalidation of IEEPA-based tariffs and implementation of new Section 122 global tariffs of 10-15%, the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) is urging policy makers to prioritize stability and transparency in trade regulations to support the complex electronics supply chain.
"The electronics supply chain operates on relatively thin margins and requires predictable business conditions to function effectively," said David Loftus, President & CEO of ECIA. "While we adapt to new tariff structures, the constant volatility creates substantial operational and financial strain throughout our industry. Our manufacturers and authorized distribution channel need stability to serve customers reliably and maintain the working capital necessary for a healthy supply chain."
The rapid succession of tariff changes has created significant challenges for our manufacturers, and especially for their electronics distributors who serve as the critical link between global manufacturers and thousands of domestic customers.
Key pressure points include:
Pricing uncertainty that prevents accurate long-term customer quoting and extends sales cycles
Working capital trapped in duty drawback claims that can take months or years to process
Inventory valuation volatility from sudden tariff shifts affecting millions in on-hand stock
Documentation complexity requiring extensive tracking across thousands of components from multiple origin countries
"Our industry thrives on innovation and speed to market," Loftus continued. "Regulatory instability undermines both. We need consistent tariff classifications, transparent landed cost information from importers of record, and streamlined duty recovery processes to maintain supply chain reliability."
ECIA represents the full spectrum of companies in the electronics components supply chain.
ATLANTA, GA – ECIA has issued a follow up Industry Alert from its Global Industry Practices Committee (GIPC) experts to update members on last Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court tariff ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the imposition of tariffs. As a result, tariffs enacted under IEEPA authority have been invalidated, and the collection of those duties is being halted. This decision may affect ECIA member companies that import electronic components, subassemblies, or finished electronic products. This alert covers the component categories impacted and how companies might respond.
“The ECIA GIPC teams are working to keep our members informed and up to date,” ECIA VP of Industry Practices Christine Wolnik commented. “We will be hosting a webinar on tariffs on March 4th to highlight the Supreme Court ruling and provide an opportunity to answer questions. Look for details and an invitation soon."
While recognizing the need to balance global trade and support U.S. manufacturing, ECIA has taken the position that tariffs have imposed significant and uneven challenges on the component channel. ECIA is committed to monitoring the situation and providing members with the latest information for timely decision making.
February 18, 2026 – Boardera Software Inc., a provider of PCB costing and quoting automation software for the electronics manufacturing industry, today announced the launch of European data hosting services to support its growing customer base across Europe and ensure compliance with regional data privacy requirements.
With this deployment, European PCB fabricators and EMS assembly companies can now leverage the full capabilities of the Boardera Platform while maintaining their data within Europe. This enhancement reinforces Boardera’s commitment to data security and regulatory alignment.
By deploying EU data hosting services, Boardera directly addresses key concerns for manufacturers operating under GDPR and other European regulatory requirements. Sensitive customer data, engineering files, and pricing intelligence remain under EU jurisdiction, supporting compliance objectives without compromising access to advanced automation and AI-driven capabilities.
"One of our primary objectives is to ensure our global partners can utilize the platform’s services, with data compliance and residency regulation being top of mind. Designs and design data are to be treated as top secret within any network of partners involved with manufacturing in this industry. We look forward to servicing EU partners while maintaining that standard,” stated Curtis Hunter, CEO of Boardera Software Inc.
Palo Alto, United States, February 13, 2026 -- Inventors who are interested in developing an IoT product but don’t want to risk expensive manufacturing delays due to unforeseen design flaws can contact Rabbit Product Design to access its recently announced prototyping and manufacturing services. The company manages aspects of the development process, including PCB design and validation.
Modern IoT devices, especially wearables, have become smaller to meet consumer demand and, accordingly, require smaller and denser printed circuit boards (PCBs). Experts at Rabbit Product Design say that this kind of miniaturization can create challenges for developers, who must increase circuit complexity while keeping component sizes small; at the same time, the device must use power efficiently, enable wireless connectivity, manage thermal load, and be durable enough to withstand harsh environmental conditions in order to compete with other products on the market.
With so many considerations, extensive simulation and virtual prototyping are necessary to ensure the proposed product functions as intended. For this reason, the team says that IoT inventors should consider working with expert electronics and hardware designers, who often have insights into the latest technologies and trends and employ professional-grade tools for reliable prototyping and validation.
Additionally, professional designers can reduce the time to market by accelerating the development process, resulting in faster launches, often at lower costs.
With a team of senior-level designers with an average of 27 years of experience in the industry, Rabbit Product Design can provide full-service product development for IoT devices. As part of the process, the team first researches the main components required for the client’s product, creates a block diagram, and then uses advanced PCB design software to make a schematic. A prototype PCB is designed based on the schematic, and this design undergoes a review before it is sent for a prototype quote.
Once the review is complete, the components are ordered and soldered to the PCB through wave solder or hole technology. The bare board is inspected before being tested for functionality, allowing the team to identify errors early on in the development process.
Aside from prototyping, Rabbit Product Design can provide factory sourcing, production tooling, packaging, and marketing support as part of its end-to-end services.
The MASS VCP-5000 is a vacuum chamber plugging system designed to achieve void-free via filling through a controlled vacuum-assisted process. The technology supports complex HDI constructions, including stacked and staggered microvias, filled and capped vias, and high layer-count designs where uniform copper distribution and structural integrity are critical.
As electronic systems continue to shrink while increasing in power density, via quality plays a direct role in long-term reliability and thermal performance. The VCP-5000 improves consistency across panels by ensuring uniform resin fill and stable processing conditions, helping reduce variability and increase overall yield, particularly in multilayer and high-aspect-ratio applications.
“This investment expands our ability to support customers pushing the limits of HDI complexity and long-term PCB reliability,” said Greg Halverson, CEO of AdvancedPCB. “New designs coming from our customers demand precision at every layer. The VCP-5000 gives us tighter control over one of the most critical steps in high-density board fabrication.”
Located in the center of the semiconductor ecosystem, AdvancedPCB’s Santa Clara operation supports customers producing AI hardware, high-performance computing platforms, and other dense electronic architectures requiring stacked microvias and high layer counts. The addition of advanced vacuum via filling further expands West Coast manufacturing capability for these demanding applications.
AdvancedPCB’s 2026 Technology Acceleration Initiative includes coordinated investments across multiple U.S. facilities to enhance advanced fabrication processes, increase capacity, and strengthen domestic manufacturing infrastructure for high-performance electronics programs.
Atlanta — ECIA has issued an Industry Alert from its Global Industry Practices Committee (GIPC) experts to update members on ongoing tariff changes that have profoundly impacted the component industry.
“While recognizing the need to balance global trade and support U.S. manufacturing, ECIA has taken the position that tariffs have imposed significant and uneven challenges on the component channel. ECIA is committed to monitoring the situation,” ECIA VP of Industry Practices Christine Wolnik commented.
“ECIA Industry Alert: Tariffs” concerns the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency’s guidance statement regarding President Trump’s January 14, 2026, Proclamation, pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862), which imposes 25 percent ad valorem duties on certain imports of semiconductors and their derivative products. The Industry Alert outlines Key Points and recommended responses going forward that companies need to understand to address these new restrictions.
