I need to research threats to the domestic (USA) electrical components
manufacturing industry (manufacturers of printed circuit boards or
PCB).  I am interested in political threats, foreign competition and
advantages, industry trends, etc.  I have done quick searches on the
Internet but am lacking the detailed info I am looking for.

Walt Custer has been writing a monthly column in CircuiTree magazine
for years.  The U.S. market is down about 50% from year 2000, and
foreign competition is a major factor in it not recovering as quickly
as the U.S. market in general.  Nearly half of the U.S. employees in
the PCB market have lost their jobs since 2000.  For more info, see:
www.circuitree.com - the most recent article is:
http://www.circuitree.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2133,108430,00.html

See also:
http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?PageID=3.1.0.55
http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=3.1