Trade, Tariffs and Trust: The Case for a Global Electronics Policy Council, with Chris Mitchell

Policy is moving faster than most electronics companies can adapt, and the stakes are no longer limited to margins and lead times. When tariffs, incentives, and industrial strategy change overnight, the entire electronics supply chain feels it, from electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and PCB production to IC substrates, components, and OEM sourcing decisions.

I’m joined by Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association to explore why the new Global Electronics Policy Council was created and what makes it different. We talk through the gap it’s trying to fill: a global mechanism where electronics-centric companies can compare notes, align where it makes sense, and engage governments with real operational insight. The point is not just to push a wish list. It’s to build a credible two-way channel so policymakers understand the downstream impact of trade rules, resilience programs, and geopolitical decisions, and so industry understands what governments are trying to achieve.

We also get into the detail of what success should look like, particularly  in the first 12 months: expanding representation across the value chain, becoming a recognizable and trusted voice with administrations and agencies, improving communications that raise the profile of the entire electronics supply chain, and shaping research that delivers actionable industry intelligence. Trade volatility comes up repeatedly, including the uncertainty created by shifting tariffs and the importance of preserving USMCA for North American manufacturing stability. Chris shares why the council is intentionally growing at the right pace to protect integrity and long-term credibility across regions, while elaborating on the ideal profile of members and the need for a degree of altruism.

If you care about electronics policy, supply chain resilience, and how government decisions shape manufacturing investment, this conversation will give you a clearer map of what’s happening and what’s next. Subscribe, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a review with the policy question you want us to tackle next.

EMS@C-Level is hosted by global inspection leaders Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Global Electronics Association (https://www.electronics.org)

You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.

Transcript

Welcome And The Big Question

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 0:08

Hello from my house to yours. Welcome to EMS at Sea Level. I am joined by Chris Mitchell of the Global Electronics Association. Chris, thanks for taking the time out to talk to me. It was great to see you in Brussels and been following what the association is doing with respect to advocacy. So when I saw the Global Electronics Policy Council announcement, I thought, okay, how does this fit in? How does this fit into that picture? So perhaps you can start by describing what it is and why now feels the right time to uh to to create this.

Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association 0:46

Yeah, we're very excited about the council. You know, there's really nothing like it in the world today. Um, there's no mechanism that brings electronics-centric companies together, companies that operate globally and have global perspectives. Uh, there's no mechanism that brings these companies together for dialogue and uh for advocacy around shared interests. And so uh that's really the mission behind this Global Electronics Policy Council to bring those leading companies around the world together and um identify the issues of greatest concern and take whatever action is appropriate. Um, so whether that is advocacy, whether that is dialogue. I mean, what I find interesting is that many of the companies we're working with, um, yes, they have interests, and yes, they have a desire for the council and the association more broadly to be advocating those interests. But they also have a great desire to kind of understand um what um considerations, what actions government is taking, and also be a resource to government. Um and uh given uh the complexity of our industry, given the nature of geopolitical tensions today, given the increased focus on industrial uh resilience, uh I think there's a huge role for EMS companies to play in uh being that resource to government, being um being able to educate government about the implications of any given policy action.

Why Create A Global Policy Council

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 2:26

Yeah, no, I think it's I think it is really important. And I think of you know what you do, you often get these people in the room, so you're often having these conversations, but creating a a council or something formal around that um makes lots of sense. You mentioned the EMS industry as being fundamental, but you also have uh companies that are outside the EMS within that founding group of uh six members. Talk me through how you brought them together because they give you a bigger stack than just the EMS industry. And what was the kind of shared conviction that each brought to the table as founders of the of the council?

Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association 3:04

Yeah, so the the while um while we started with a number of EMS companies that had a kind of um uh shared interest in stepping up the profile of the industry and and playing that more active role in engaging government, um, the the um our mission has always been to broaden the scope of the GEPC. That is to say, we would like to bring all of the key stakeholders together across the value chain. And so we have T we have uh uh PCB and uh IC substrate represented. Um we've been talking to a number of suppliers, both on the equipment side as well as the material side, as well as OEMs. And so we're confident that here in the next month or so we're gonna be adding new companies. In fact, we already have one company that we're set to announce is has uh has uh joined the council as well. Um and so uh our expectation is that we're going to continue to bring in companies across the value chain. And and again, I think that for many of these companies, um, I I don't want to suggest that that there is one or two driving issues um that are leading them to want to join the council in order to advance that policy interest. I think what what we're seeing from the industry is a recognition that governments around the world are taking actions that may have significant implications for the industry. And the industry wants to ensure that these government leaders are as well informed as possible about the implications of those actions. And so we want to be a resource. So this isn't about um, you know, I I there there are no policy issues that are small necessarily, right? But this isn't about kind of getting into the weeds on one or two niche issues to help the industry drive up its profits. I think the the goal is much broader and I and I would argue more altruistic, right? We want to make sure the government has the best data, the best information, the best insights so that so that so that as governments make decisions, they can be as well informed and ideally as supportive of building that robust industry that we think is necessary, given the uh criticality of electronics across every vertical of the economy.

Two Way Dialogue With Government

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 5:39

Yeah, and I think you are at a bit of an inflection point, or you're certainly at a point where lots is changing in the world, particularly around geopolitics, but also around government strategy and um how they deal with that. So that's really important. What struck me in Brussels and what structs me as important with this is that it is a two-way communication thing. It's great to have that communication between the council so that they've got a kind of together harmonized voice to offer to government about what the industry is dealing with or struggling with or where the opportunities are. Um, but it's also important for them to understand how the different governments are thinking and the instruments that they're uh that they're bringing forth. That creating a platform that can have that two-way communication is really important, isn't it?

Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association 6:32

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. And and again, I think that that's why as we stand up this council, it isn't um in in there will be and there are policy issues that the that the council cares very much about. Um, but I but I do believe that this is also um at a at a far higher level about developing relationships so that industry can be well informed about what government is seeking to do. And then uh and so doing is in a far better position to support those policy goals. I mean, if you look around the world, there are a lot of efforts underway that are very much consistent with the interests of the industry in terms of growing manufacturing, spurring innovation. Um, and so to the degree that there can be alignment between what government is is seeking to accomplish and what industry is investing in, that's that's ideal from both perspectives.

What Success Looks Like In Year One

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 7:37

Yeah. So when when you when you look at the group and having got it together, get all those people together. Has anybody sat down and said, okay, what is what does success for this group look like in 12 months? What would we have what what would we like to have in place or what would we like to achieve?

Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association 7:59

Yeah, so um um, you know, the first thing is making sure that we have a good cross-representation of the of the industry on the council, right? Again, as I alluded to earlier, I think we made the EMS industry um the kind of the core group of the founding members. But the larger goal is to make sure that we are well uh that we have representation across the value chain. And so, you know, by the end of the year, I think that that's how we're gonna start to measure ourselves. To what degree have we succeeded in in um gaining membership among OEMs, um material suppliers, equipment providers, the PCB industry, component manufacturers, and so forth. Um I think that's a big thing. Um, in addition, um, to what degree have we um really established ourselves as a recognizable, trusted voice with government leaders? We have a huge advantage. We've already, as an association, been working very closely with many government agencies around the world. Um, and so we can leverage that. But we definitely want to build this profile of the um of the GEPC, as a trusted voice of leading companies that um can be called upon to provide input um um to um to policy proposals and when issues come up. Um all uh and then in addition, um the GEPC is in addition to um being um that resource and a um uh uh a mechanism for advocacy by the industry. Um, it's also a mechanism for uh communications efforts. Um as an industry, we need to be doing a lot better, raising the profile of our of our industry. And so uh this GEPC is going to be able to help frame those efforts. And then finally, on the research uh and industry intelligence side, uh, my expectation is that as we stand up our our industry intelligence working group within the GEPC, uh, they're helping to frame the research that we are undertaking. Uh and in so doing, we're making sure that there's alignment between where the greatest industry needs are and where the uh where the research uh the research that we're undertaking.

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 10:27

Yeah, I think it I think it makes sense. And when I when I think about what you're able to do, is that ability to have people in the room that can just kind of gaze into the crystal ball and say, what does the ideal supply chain look like given the dynamics that are happening, and how does that impact all the different regions and territories that um that electronics is is active in, because quite often we're looking at things from a European point of view or from a US point of view, or maybe from India, or or maybe from elsewhere, but the global picture is um is hugely important. When people got together initially, I I imagine there were issues that they consider to be really important in their mind, maybe shortages, maybe supply chain resist um resilience, maybe stuff around innovation. Is there any area that it felt that there was a momentum to to kind of focus on first of all, or is it just how can we how can we really paint the big picture?

Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association 11:29

Yeah,

Trade Volatility And USMCA Priorities

Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association 11:30

so uh trade issues figure in prominently today, and a lot of that has to do with just the the volatility that exists and the and the and you know um just the the spate of of um uh actions being taken by the current administration, right? And so that currently that that that um has been um a big bulk of the work that we have been doing and talking to the council about. Um so from that perspective, uh I would say trade is by and far the the greatest um uh both concern but also um just interest, right? I mean, even if companies are uh in a position to make adjustments, they they want to know what what's what's around the corner, what's happening. Um the administration is announcing uh a new in the US announcing a new tariff um today. Is it still going to be a tariff that we're talking about tomorrow? Um and so being able to bring insight to those um kinds of issues, um, that that's been a big uh big part of the work that we do. Um in the US again, USMCA is uh a huge priority for for companies, uh preserving that trilateral relationship. And so we have been doing a lot of work on that issue as well, not just in the United States, but in Canada and and and Mexico as well. Um uh, you know, so I'd say the trade is probably the biggest issue. All that being said, um I think if you talk to all of these companies, there's a uh uh a desire to figure out how do you continue to um grow the industry and and catalyze some of the government investments to help support greater domestic resiliency in any part of the world, right? Um so uh and and and and how do you do this in a way that isn't zero sum?

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 13:22

Yeah,

Keeping The Council Truly Global

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 13:23

yeah, yeah. It's how do you balance it, isn't it? And I I I look at that and I think, okay, you've done a great job of getting a broad range of the supply chain together. And as you say, your focus in the next 12 months will be actually filling in that, but it also has to have a broad range of people that understand what's going on in different parts of the world. It has to not be kind of tilted towards the US or tilted towards Europe or tilted towards Asia or or anywhere else. It has to bring as many voices in as possible. Is that something that you have recognized and you have a strategy to maybe bring more people from different regions? You've already got companies that are global and headquartered outside as well as inside the US and Europe. So um starting.

Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association 14:12

Yes. Yeah, so we've been uh we've talked to a number of European companies, and we're hopeful that we'll have more European representation here uh in the next couple months. Uh likewise, we've been talking to a number of companies in in Asia. And, you know, candidly, there's a lot of questions. So what's what's the value of this? Why should I join? Um and and so we've been talking to to companies um about the value of the GPC. Um, but it's hard. I mean, I think that this is because there is nothing like this that exists. I think it's hard for a lot of companies to get their their heads around, right? So wait a minute, you're is this US focused? Is it not US focused? How are you balancing out these geographic interests? And and, you know, I but you know, it's interesting because I I I think that we have been pretty clear. We don't have all the answers, right? Um, I think this is an experiment. Um but kind of at the root of this experiment is is the hypothesis. And the hypothesis is that it is important for companies in our industry to be coming together for dialogue. Now, what comes out of that dialogue, um, what we are called to do as an association as a result of those discussions, I mean, that's all to be determined by the companies that are on the GEPC. Um, nevertheless, um, thus far, I think what we have received back from companies is that they value the opportunity to get together and to have conversations that they don't necessarily have or haven't necessarily had in the past. Um and so, you know, it'll take a little bit of, it'll it takes time to formulate an advocacy agenda, especially an advocacy agenda that not only um all companies can get behind, but that is a meaningful one that that is going to meaningfully help support and advance the industry. Um I think this is something that we are focused on building over the long term. Um, we this is not about pulling on as many companies as fast as possible. It is about bringing on the right companies, companies that bring that global perspective, people, companies that are committed uh to the mission of the GEPC. And again, our our we have every confidence that over the long term, it's going to lead not just to the kind of conversations that then lead to action, but I think it'll lead to a reputation of the council that then lends itself to uh really meaningful engagement with top senior uh senior government leaders around the world. Uh again, I think um ensuring the integrity and and and um credibility of the of the council is what we're most focused on right now.

Credibility, Next Meetings, And Wrap Up

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 17:02

Yeah. Yeah, and that feels like that feels like the answer to what success looks like. It's it's building a council that's got that that contribution from people that are thinking about it from a point of view of their global business, thinking about it altruistically from a point of view of what's good for the industry, and understanding a rising tide lifts all vote. And getting it to a status where a government leader or someone within a administration is going to reach out to the council and say, these are the people that I need to be talking to to understand this ecosystem. And uh I think that's huge, obviously. As all as all these things within um within associations, it's a work in progress. You set it out and you uh you drive it forward in the best way you can, and you uh you allow the members to uh help you adapt as you go. And I think that's that's part of the success of these things.

Chris Mitchell Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association 17:56

I mean, I think already um we have um had a number of important meetings. We have another meeting coming up um here in August with a top uh uh Department of War official about the defense and engagements around the world. And so again, I think, you know, again, we're gonna grow this organically, um, but we're gonna continue to grow it and and we feel really good about the direction that it's headed, and we feel really good about the response that we're getting from companies that are involved.

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 18:28

Yeah, yeah. Exciting stuff. Well done, Chris. Thanks so much for talking to me about it. I look forward to updates with more uh as more members join the six. And uh yeah, we'll chat again soon. Thanks.