WASHINGTON – The Semiconductor Industry Association today applauded a bipartisan bill that gives US negotiators the authority to finalize trade agreements.

The SIA board, led by Intel CEO and SIA chairman Brian Krzanich, sent a letter to congressional leaders expressing support for the legislation and urging its swift passage.

“SIA strongly supports Trade Promotion Authority and applauds the introduction of this bipartisan legislation. TPA paves the way for free trade by empowering US negotiators to reach final trade agreements consistent with negotiating objectives laid out by Congress,” said SIA president and CEO John Neuffer. “Free trade is especially critical to the US semiconductor industry, which designs and manufactures the chips that enable virtually all electronics. Our industry relies on a global ecosystem of materials and equipment suppliers, technology providers, services, R&D, and customers, so we depend on open access to international markets.”

He said, “In 2014, US semiconductor company sales totaled $173 billion, representing over half the global market, and 82% of those sales were to customers outside the United States. The US semiconductor industry employs nearly 250,000 people in high-skilled, high-wage jobs in America, and supports over one million additional US jobs. Since most of the US semiconductor industry’s customers are abroad, free trade is critical to creating and supporting these US jobs.”

The bill, called the Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA-2015), was introduced by Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Paul Ryan (R-WI.).

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