ECIA Requests Federal Government to Include Industry as “Essential Business”
March 30, 2020
The Department of Homeland Security has been asked to include electronic component manufacturers and authorized distributors under that definition.
ECIA asked the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), within the Department of Homeland Security, to include electronic component manufacturers and their authorized distributors as part of the country’s critical infrastructure and as essential businesses. While it is ECIA's interpretation that electronic component manufacturers and their supply chains are essential businesses and exempt for purposes of state/local shelter-in-place, stay-in-place and similar orders, the CISA guidance document does not specifically mention the industry. The request further stated that authorized electronic component distributors fulfill a vital role in the supply chain and should also be considered part of the critical infrastructure and designated as essential businesses.