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The Effect of Imports of Ceramic Semiconductor Packages on the National Security
(003-009-00689-9) August 1993 Price $15
At the request of Coors Electronic Package Company and Ceramic Process Systems Corporation, the Department of Commerce/Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) conducted an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, to determine the effect of imports of ceramic semiconductor packages on the national security. The report is an economic assessment of the U.S. ceramic semiconductor package industry. It notes that from a military perspective, ceramic packages are a key component of the microelectronic element of virtually every U.S. military system. Defense products account for about 20 percent of all ceramic packages used in the United States. The investigation found that the U.S. industry suffered declines in profitability, capacity, capacity utilization, investment and employment between 1990 and 1992. The report concluded that conditions in the ceramic package industry did not present an immediate threat to national security, but improving the capabilities of the domestic industry was deemed desirable for both economic and national security reasons.