The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated a worldwide shortage of semiconductor chips.
Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz / Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday to improve the supply chain for semiconductor chips and other critical resources. The order launches a 100-day review of supply chains in four key industries: semiconductors, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and large-capacity batteries for electric vehicles. The review aims to identify short-term steps the administration can take, including working with lawmakers in Congress, to reduce supply chain risks, according to the White House.
“We need to make sure these supply chains are safe and reliable,” Biden said, adding that semiconductor chips supply motors, telephones and medical devices.
The U.S. has felt the impact of global chips, believing that some automakers have halted production in the U.S. due to a lack of chips that help control everything from engines to airbags. The scarcity of chips has also contributed to stock issues for electronics, including the new Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, both sold out in the US and worldwide.
The White House also has the shortage of personal protective equipment for frontline health care workers at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The order also calls for a longer, more in-depth review of a wider range of supply chains that are critical to the US, including defense, public health and energy sectors.
Biden met with a two-member group of lawmakers Wednesday afternoon to discuss the U.S. supply chain before signing the executive order.
“This is a critical area where Republicans and Democrats agree,” Biden said.
See also: The Biden presidency: what it means for technology