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发帖数: 2848 | 1 The Biden administration is considering invoking a Cold War-era national
security law to force companies in the semiconductor supply chain to provide
information on inventory and sales of chips, Commerce Secretary Gina
Raimondo said Thursday.
The goal is to alleviate bottlenecks that have idled U.S. car production and
caused shortages of consumer electronics and to identify possible hoarding,
she said in an interview.
Her team for months has sought clarity into how companies allocate their
semiconductor supply. But previous meetings that convened firms from
different industrial sectors haven’t led to increased transparency and many
companies have refused to hand over business data to the government.
The Commerce Department is now asking companies to fill out questionnaires
within 45 days providing supply chain information. The request is voluntary
but Raimondo said she warned industry representatives that she might invoke
the Defense Production Act or other tools to force their hands if they don’
t respond.
“What I told them is, ‘I don’t want to have to do anything compulsory but
if they don’t comply, then they’ll leave me no choice,’” she said. “I
said today we’re evaluating all of our options right now, all the tools. I
hope not to go there but we need to see some progress and we definitely need
compliance.”
The production act gives the president broad authority to direct industrial
production in crises. The Trump and Biden administrations each invoked it to
hasten the production and distribution of coronavirus vaccines and other
pandemic-related medical supplies.
It isn’t clear precisely how Raimondo might use the law to obtain
information from semiconductor manufacturers or their customers, and she
didn’t name any specific companies.
Commerce Secretary Raimondo Testifies Before Senate Appropriations
Gina Raimondo Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg
A global shortage of chips that power everything from laptops to automobiles
has continued to affect production in many industries, and finding medium-
and long-term solutions has been a priority since President Joe Biden took
office.
U.S. officials have repeatedly emphasized that the private sector must step
up and provide more transparency if the government is to successfully
address the shortage.
The Commerce chief and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese held
meetings with companies Thursday to stress that point again. Raimondo said
the first session “went very well” and participants were “extremely
constructive.”
The information request -- and potential enforcement through DPA or other
means -- is necessary because there’s a lack of trust among companies in
the supply chain, she said. |
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