Shutdowns of key Asian suppliers due to the Covid-19 pandemic crippled supplies last year, just when American consumers, flush with cash from government aid, went on a spending spree buying cars and electronics, which depend on the chips
Workers cross a road in front of the Samsung Electronics Co. semiconductor manufacturing plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, on Jan 6, 2022. (Credits: SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg via Getty Images)