A new government subsidiary has been established, and will team up with private companies, to enhance the U.S. supply chain. This initiative is a part of the Biden Administration's strategy to strengthen national security and economic resilience.
The announcement about the creation of the Supply Chain Resilience Center (SCRC) came with an ambitious vision for enhancing national supply chains. According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release, the Supply Chain Resilience Center (SCRC) was announced at the inaugural meeting of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience by President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. The SCRC will identify weaknesses within the supply chain and work with private companies to enhance the supply chain to reliably deliver goods and services to American consumers.
The Secretary of Homeland Security outlined why this effort is crucial during his statement at the announcement. "Securing our critical infrastructure is fundamental to staying competitive in a 21st century economy, and the Department of Homeland Security’s new Supply Chain Resilience Center will enhance our efforts to do just that," said Mayorkas. "The global pandemic has revealed that the supply chains that Americans rely upon for food and essential other goods must be more robust and resilient. Conflict, political instability, and climate change could challenge our supply chains in the years ahead. The Supply Chain Resilience Center will help American businesses and the federal government anticipate these disruptions and play a key role in the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to prevent them."
Beyond ensuring reliable delivery of goods, there are also concerns around public safety related to supply chains which SCRC aims to address. According to the DHS news release, an inefficient supply chain can pose a threat to public safety and the SCRC will look to safeguard goods and services from being attacked by our enemies or technological threats such as AI. The SCRC is expected to identify security vulnerabilities at U.S. seaports and provide solutions, secure the semiconductor supply chain through the implementation of the CHIPS Act, examine how critical infrastructure owners and operators can provide essential goods and services during times of disruption and host two table-top exercises next year to examine the resiliency of critical cross-border supply chains with other government entities.
Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers further elaborated on what this initiative aims to achieve. "Our job is to cut points of friction, streamline lawful trade, address security vulnerabilities head on, and help ensure American consumers and business can access the products they need," said Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers. "The Supply Chain Resilience Center will bring government and industry around the table so we can become more prepared and coordinated for addressing these challenges."
