Italy to Join Pax Silica to Secure AI Chip Supply Chains Amid US–China Tensions

Italy is preparing to join Pax Silica, a US-led initiative to secure AI and semiconductor supply chains and reduce reliance on China. The expected accession would make Italy one of roughly 24 participating entities, alongside the EU, Germany, Greece, Australia, Finland, India, Israel, Japan, and the Netherlands. Pax Silica launched on December 12, 2025, in Washington, D.C. It is designed as a non-binding framework coordinated by US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg. Participation does not require treaties or specific spending targets, but signals alignment with the American-led technology supply-chain strategy rather than hedging between Washington and Beijing. Italy’s motivation is linked to its advanced manufacturing base, including STMicroelectronics, with fabrication sites in Catania and Agrate Brianza. Officials also frame the move as support for investment and policy coordination across allied tech sectors. For the wider AI supply chain, Pax Silica aims to create redundant, cross-border sourcing to lower disruption risk. The article notes China’s dominance in processing certain critical minerals and rare earth refining. It warns that the growing split between a US-allied tech ecosystem and a China-centered one could create bottlenecks for companies and blockchain protocols dependent on hardware from the “wrong” side of the divide. The coalition’s rapid growth—from its December launch to about 24 members—suggests momentum, but the reconfiguration of semiconductor supply chains is described as a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar effort. (Keyword emphasis: Pax Silica.)