China’s dominance in printed circuit board (PCB) production is well known. Less visible is the extent to which Chinese sub-components permeate U.S.-bound PCBs, even when they originate from partner nations such as Vietnam, India, or Mexico. New analysis by Altana shows that a lack of multi-tier visibility leaves U.S. electronics manufacturing vulnerable to upstream dependencies, tariff shocks, and export controls.
China’s Reach Extends Deep Into PCB Value Chains
Altana’s analysis of UN Comtrade data confirms China accounts for roughly 67% of global PCB exports. But the country’s role goes further: it supplies the resistors, capacitors, diodes, semiconductor parts, wiring, and integrated circuits that make up the functional core of PCB assemblies worldwide. These parts often enter U.S.-bound shipments indirectly, routed through other manufacturing hubs.
In 2024, Vietnam shipped over 7,000 PCBs to the U.S., valued at about $78 million. Altana found that one in five of those shipments contained Chinese components from just one tier upstream. India’s dependence was even higher, with Chinese sub-components present in more than 61% of its $23 million in PCB exports to the U.S. Mexican PCB suppliers also relied heavily on Chinese inputs. Across all PCB supply routes to the U.S., China emerged as the largest source of upstream components by value.
Altana’s mapping shows that 88% of U.S. electronics product value chains contain foreign inputs, and nearly a quarter of suppliers across Tier 1 to Tier 3 are based in China. Without visibility into these multi-tier links, manufacturers can’t fully measure exposure to geopolitical risk or plan for trade disruptions.
Tariffs, Export Controls, and Critical Mineral Bottlenecks
PCB sub-components rely on critical minerals, such as gallium and germanium, that China refines at scale and can restrict via export controls. These minerals are essential for integrated circuits, semiconductors, and other PCB building blocks. The U.S. Department of Commerce has opened Section 232 national security investigations into critical minerals, semiconductors, and polysilicon, materials essential for PCB production. If new tariffs follow, import costs for electronics could spike sharply, mirroring the 25% levies already applied to steel and aluminum under Section 232 rules.
This layered risk, mineral restrictions at the source, tariffs on processed materials, and upstream dependencies buried in multi-tier supplier networks, means disruption can cascade through electronics, automotive, and defense production. While some buyers are seeking non-Chinese mineral sources, Section 232 tariffs could still apply to goods with embedded Chinese-origin components, even when assembled elsewhere.
The Overlooked Risk in “Friendly” Supply Routes
Focusing only on direct imports from China underestimates the real exposure. PCBs made in Vietnam or India may pass through customs without flags, yet still carry significant Chinese content in their upstream supply chains. These “friendly” routes can mask dependencies until a tariff, export ban, or regulatory action forces urgent re-sourcing. For companies seeking resilience, the challenge is not just finding alternative suppliers, but confirming that the full chain, from raw minerals to final assembly, is insulated from chokepoints.