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Executives from Intel, IBM, Texas Instruments say the U.S. tech sector is \\u201cat risk.\\u201d The domestic electronics sector has long decried the long, slow migration of semiconductor manufacturing from the U.S. to overseas factories \\u2014 and warned of the potential implications for both commercial supply chains and national security.

But just in case policymakers weren\\u2019t completely convinced by pleas from some of the world\\u2019s leading technology giants, a global pandemic stepped in to make them pay attention.

As COVID-19 swept around the globe last winter and spring, automakers were forced to idle their plants just as millions of newly home-bound workers began depending on electronics to keep them connected. Semiconductor makers, naturally, diverted wafers and chips originally intended for vehicles to other, more in-demand sectors.

Now, roughly a year later, the auto industry has made a dramatic recovery \\u2014 and semiconductor makers haven\\u2019t been able to catch up. Numerous automakers have been forced to cut back on production due to a lack of parts, and one estimate expects the shortage to make a $60 billion dent in the global auto sector.

The Semiconductor Industry Association \\u2014 a trade group representing nearly all of the nation\\u2019s semiconductor industry, including Intel, IBM and Texas Instruments \\u2014 says \\u201cbold action\\u201d is needed to address the challenges facing the sector, and that the U.S.\\u2019s leadership in tech is \\u201cat risk.\\u201d In a letter to the Biden administration, the group called for \\u201csubstantial\\u201d financial incentives for semiconductor manufacturing to be included in forthcoming economic recovery and infrastructure plans.

Congress approved subsidies for semiconductor manufacturing and research last year, but lawmakers have yet to determine how much funding should be allocated. The White House on Thursday promised to help address the shortage \\u2014 likely in the form of an executive order \\u2014 but for an industry with lead times lasting months, it will likely be of little consequence to automakers who expect to lose billions in sales.

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