In this file photo, President Joe Biden signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. (Photo: Whitehouse)
On February 24, U. S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at creating more resilient and securing supply chains for critical and essential goods. The order launches a comprehensive review of U.S. supply chains and directs federal departments and agencies to identify ways to secure U.S. supply chains against a wide range of risks and vulnerabilities.
“This is about making sure the United States can meet every challenge we face in this new era — pandemics, but also in defense, cybersecurity, climate change, and so much more,” Biden said. “And the best way to do that is by protecting and sharpening America’s competitive edge by investing here at home.”
He added that it’s about resilience, identifying vulnerabilities in the supply chain and making sure there are backups in place.
The order directs an immediate 100-day review across federal agencies to address vulnerabilities in the supply chains of four key products, which included critical minerals and large capacity batteries for use in electric vehicles.
The review will identify near-term steps the administration can take, including with Congress, to address vulnerabilities in the supply chains for these critical goods.
The order also calls for a more in-depth one-year review of a broader set of U.S. supply chains that focuses on six sectors, including public health, IT, energy, defense, transportation, and agricultural and food production.
Agencies and departments were directed to review a variety of risks to supply chains and industrial bases and make recommendations on how to improve resiliency.
Biden also directed his administration to work with U.S. partners and allies to ensure they have strong and resilient supply chains as well.
As the administration implements the executive order, it said it will identify opportunities to implement policies to secure supply chains that grow the American economy, increase wages, benefit small businesses and historically disadvantaged communities, strengthen pandemic and biopreparedness, support the fight against global climate change, and maintain America’s technological leadership in key sectors.
The National Mining Association (NMA) applauded the order. “We can’t import our way to economic and national security; we have to establish that security literally from the ground up by using American-mined materials produced by American workers under world-leading environmental standards,” NMA President and CEO Rich Nolan said. “The president clearly recognizes the threat and is acting to protect against the exposure that exists in our energy, national security, manufacturing and medical supply chains given our overreliance on imports for the building blocks of these key industries.”
According to the United States Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2021, U.S. import dependence for key mineral commodities has doubled over the past two decades with the U.S. now 100% import-reliant for 17 key minerals and more than 50% import-reliant for an additional 29 key mineral commodities. U.S. mineral import reliance continues to increase just as mineral demand from essential industries — such as energy and transportation — is expected to soar.
