Manufacturers Call for Fair Allocation of Semiconductor Chips

The U.S. appliance industry has a chip on its shoulder when it comes to competing with automakers for the scarce supply of semiconductors. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturing (AHAM) has joined two of its sister industry associations—the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)—in appealing to the Department of Commerce (DOC) for “fairness” in government assistance and policy with respect to the semiconductor chip shortage.

In a May 7 letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the heads of the three organizations—whose combined industries claim to represent 775 manufacturers employing more than 2.6 million workers, with an economic impact of $578 billion to the domestic marketplace—highlighted their dependence on the global supply of semiconductor chips. The letter challenged the secretary’s recent statement that seemed to prioritize the automotive industry’s need.