ARLINGTON, Va. – The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) joined two of its sister industry associations — the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) — in seeking “fairness” in government assistance and policy with respect to the shortage of semiconductors.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the heads of the three organizations took issue with her recent statement that seemed to advocate priority for the auto industry.

“We’re working hard to see if we can…prioritize the needs of our auto companies since there’s so many American jobs on the line,” Raimondo is quoted as stating at a recent event.

The industry letter acknowledged the importance of the auto industry, but reminded the Secretary that their own “combined industries’ economic impact in the U.S. is $578 billion and we employ over 2.6 million people.” Noting that their “member companies’ products perform essential functions across critical infrastructure sectors including healthcare, energy, grid, information technology, medical imaging, transportation, water/wastewater, and efficient home appliances,” the letter reiterates that “All depend on the global supply of semiconductors. Without semiconductors, production slows or stops. Disruptions in the marketplace for semiconductors are creating production problems for our member companies, which in turn affects their customers.”

The letter concludes with a plea for fairness: “…during this shortage, it is essential that the nation’s semiconductor supply be fairly allocated across industry sectors and that Administration statements do not — explicitly or implicitly — favor any one sector over others. We simply ask for fairness so that the health, safety, comfort, productivity, and other needs of Americans can be met to ensure that people can stay safe and healthy.”

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