President Joe Biden will soon issue an executive order aimed at reviewing critical U.S. supply chains — and ultimately finding ways to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign suppliers of technology, raw materials and medical supplies.
Multiple reports, citing officials familiar with the matter, indicated the order would focus on both government contractors and private industry in its efforts to protect U.S. industrial supplies from reliance on competitors, including China.
The order will reportedly closely follow the plan Biden laid out during his presidential campaign. It will begin with a 100-day review to identify critical national security risks across international supply chains, and will ask Congress to enact mandatory quarterly critical supply chain reviews to institute the process permanently.
Several reports said the order is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Bloomberg reported that the order would direct a number of agencies to produce reports on critical sectors, with some due in one year and others due in the first half of this year. The Financial Times added that the reports would serve as a broad examination of U.S. supply chains, including procurement.
The rest of the plan, first outlined in July by the Biden campaign, reportedly centers on the following three points:
- Using the full power of the federal government to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity for supply chains of critical products
- Implementing a comprehensive approach to ensure the U.S. has critical supplies needed for future crises and national security
- Working with allies to protect their supply chains and open new markets to U.S. exports
The reports came just eight days after Biden signed a “Made in America” executive order aimed at supporting U.S. manufacturers, businesses and workers in government contracting.
