CNBC: Biden Plans Executive Order for Semiconductor, Rare Earth Metal Supply Chain Review

The White House is working on an executive order that will direct a two-phase review of U.S. supply chains and domestic manufacturing to be led by members of President Joe Biden’s national security and economic teams, CNBC reported Thursday.

The review will look into the “resiliency and capacity of the American manufacturing supply chains and defense industrial base to support national security [and] emergency preparedness,” according to a draft of the executive order seen by CNBC.

The 100-day initial phase of the assessment will call for officials to review key supply chains, including those for rare earth metals, semiconductors, electric car batteries and medical supplies. The second phase will expand the review into other sectors, including equipment production in support of defense, energy, transportation and public health.

After the two-phase assessment, a task force will send recommendations to the president on potential measures to consider, including trade route edits and diplomatic agreements.

The pending EO reflects the Biden administration’s efforts to assess how dependent the U.S. military and economy are on products being exported by China and other countries “that are or are likely to become unfriendly or unstable.”

Sponsor