Washington, DC. SEMI announced today that it applauds the Senate action to fill the vacant cabinet-level position of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

Robert Lighthizer was confirmed to serve as the chief trade negotiator and principal trade policymaker for the United States. The Office of USTR has long supported policies of growth and innovation for the high-tech industry, and SEMI said it welcomes a revitalized effort toward this objective.

“Global trade is essential for SEMI members, and this is an essential step in the pursuit of free trade and investment policies,” said SEMI CEO Ajit Manocha. “SEMI member companies globally depend on international trade, and 80% of semiconductor equipment and materials produced by U.S. companies are exported overseas. Good trade policy is critical for the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain, and we pledge to work with the USTR to expand markets and increase access to customers around the globe.”

SEMI connects nearly 2,000 member companies and 250,000 professionals worldwide annually to advance the technology and business of electronics manufacturing. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley (Milpitas, CA), Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, DC.

www.semi.org