New Executive Orders Seeks to Improve U.S. Supply Chain Security and Resilience

President Joe Biden signed an executive order yesterday intended to improve the security and resilience of the U.S.’s critical supply chains, given vulnerabilities that have been realized and assessed from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cyber attacks, and numerous other challenges. The order involves 100-day reviews of the global producers and shippers for computer chips used in consumer products, large-capacity batteries for electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals and their active ingredients, and critical minerals used in electronics. The order also involves yearlong reviews of six sectors, some of which include the information and communications technology and energy industrial bases. The reviews will seek to determine whether U.S. firms are relying too much on foreign suppliers, particularly those in China. If risks are identified in supply chains, the administration will aim to push companies to move their suppliers out of countries like China and back to the U.S. mainland or allied nations. The reviews will also consider other vulnerabilities, like extreme weather and environmental factors. Read more at Politico, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.