Global Electronics Association to Testify at the Office of the US Trade Representative Panel on Section 301 Structural Excess Capacity

Chris Mitchell, Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association, will testify before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Panel on Section 301 Structural Excess Capacity on Friday, May 8. He will emphasize that policymakers should carefully distinguish between unfair state-directed industrial overcapacity and the commercially necessary manufacturing capacity that underpins the global electronics industry - including production among U.S. allies and partners.

"The problem is not capacity but rather the source of that capacity. Capacity built through state-directed industrial policy that distorts markets is a genuine trade concern. Capacity built by the basic economics of electronics manufacturing, where firms must invest billions before the first product ships, is not. Conflating the two causes the finding to collapse into circular logic: if capacity exists, it is structural, and therefore it is distortive," Mitchell shared ahead of his official testimony.

Mitchell will testify alongside more than 100 witnesses representing a wide variety of industries and national interests.

Media Availability: Mitchell will testify during Panel 21 on Friday, May 8, with the day's testimonies beginning at 10:00 am ET. He is available for background briefings ahead of the hearing and on-the-record interviews afterward. To schedule an interview or request the full testimony, contact Daniel Baker ([email protected]), Director of Policy Communications & Public Affairs.

Mitchell's full testimony will touch on the following topics:

• Distinguishing allied production from state-directed competition.
• The cyclical nature of electronics production.
• Why specialization and geographic concentration occur in the sector.
• The need for a rigorous evidentiary standard.
• Why tariffs alone cannot solve domestic capacity constraints or limitations.

About Chris Mitchell

Chris Mitchell leads global government relations for the Global Electronics Association, representing the world's leading electronics manufacturers and suppliers. He has more than 20 years of experience in international trade, technology, and supply chain policy.