President Joe Biden holds a chip in his hand before speaking in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, USA, on February 24, 2021, ahead of the signing of an ordinance to remedy a global semiconductor shortage.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Executives from companies like Google parent Alphabet, AT&T, Intel and General Motors will attend a virtual summit at the White House on Monday to address the global semiconductor shortage.
The summit comes when the Biden administration embarks on a review of key U.S. supply chains, including those for semiconductors, high-capacity batteries, medical supplies and rare earth metals. The shortage of computer chips is affecting a number of industries, from electric vehicle manufacturers to medical supplies.
Automakers like GM and Ford recently had to cut production estimates or extend downtime to address the shortage. The supply chain was initially at risk at the start of the Covid pandemic, as a large part of the world’s chips are manufactured in Asia, where the crisis first appeared.
US officials and lawmakers have highlighted the potential safety implications of the country’s reliance on other countries for semiconductors. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said in February that “semiconductor manufacturing is a dangerous flaw in our economy and national security.”
For economic and national security reasons, the supply chain assessment set out in Biden’s February Executive Order seeks to assess “the resilience and capacity of America’s manufacturing and industrial defense base supply chains in support of national security [and] Emergency preparedness. “
The White House has also said it is trying to fill gaps in domestic production and supply chains that are “dominated or passed through nations that are becoming or becoming unfriendly or unstable”.
While the White House review does not specifically mention China, the directive is likely largely an attempt by the government to determine how dependent the US economy and military are on a critical group of Chinese exports.
According to the White House, the virtual summit will be hosted by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and NEC Director Brian Deese, and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Attendees will discuss Biden’s American employment plan and strengthening the U.S. semiconductor supply chain, according to the White House.
Here is the full list of companies whose executives are expected to attend the summit:
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