In latest visit to Albany’s nanotechnology campus, Sen. Schumer targets China

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stopped by the SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges Of Nanoscale Science And Engineering in Albany Tuesday, launching a new push to the limit the use of Chinese-made semiconductor chips.

Schumer says China would like to corner the global microchip market, which would create a national security problem and affect the U.S. economy.

“I am today announcing that I am proposing in this year’s defense authorization bill the NDAA that when the federal government is buying a product or service, we block the use of chips from three of the biggest and most dangerous Chinese companies in the game: SMIC, CXMT and YMTC,” said Schumer.

The Democrat calls the measure a “bipartisan, common sense proposal.”

“My sponsor in this legislation is John Cornyn, a member of the Republican leadership in the Senate,” said Schumer.

Since 2019, Schumer has been crusading to make New York a national leader in semiconductor and advanced technology manufacturing. He created bills like the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act and has proposed other federal incentives for semiconductor manufacturing that would ultimately benefit the Empire State.

Schumer touted the announced $100 billion deal to develop computer chip plants north of Syracuse.

“Which will include 50,000 good paying jobs that will have reverberations from one corner of this state to the other,” Schumer said. “The announcement in Syracuse is going to have big effect on Albany. And when you combine that, with all of that, that with Onsemi acquiring Global Foundries’ fab in East Fishkill, Wolfspeed recently opening the world’s first, largest, and only 200 millimeter cyclon silicon carbon factory in Marcy, the advanced packaging capabilities in Rochester, cutting edge batteries being made in Binghamton and top notch manufacturing in Buffalo, you have a technology and workforce corridor flowing all across New York state with a focus here in the Capital Region.”

Schumer says the CHIPS and Science Act that recently became law has also spurred IBM to commit to $20 billion in new investment in upstate New York… “…including right here at Albany Nanotech,” said Schumer. “In fact, IBM and the many other industry and academic partners here at Albany Nanotech have positioned the region as the prime candidate, number one, to lead the National Semiconductor Technology Center, NSTC, that my bill created, which will bring billions of dollars in investment and hundreds of jobs to the Capital Region. In fact, if we get the designation, and I’m already working very, very hard with the commerce secretary and the president himself to make this happen, it will make Albany not only the national center, but the world center for high end research and new semiconductor chip development.”

Dave Anderson is President of the New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering and Science (NY CREATES):

“Countries around the world have been making major investments in the semiconductor industry for decades, and the past couple of years have exposed our vulnerabilities to our economic and national security of relying on foreign countries for any part of the semiconductor ecosystem,” said Anderson. “From the chips themselves, to the broader supply chain, to the required technology innovation. The Chips and Science Act includes funding to create a National Semiconductor Technology Center for Research and Development. And it will ensure that the U.S. continues to lead the world in innovation and design for next generation technology.”

Schumer says he expects to see grants begin to be issued to chipfab companies in the next few months.