The Biden administration is seeking more information from companies struggling with the global shortage of semiconductors, an effort designed to increase transparency in supply chains and ease bottlenecks.
The request for information, which is voluntary for companies, will be made Thursday as the White House hosts a meeting of semiconductor producers and users. Administration officials said the objective is to get more information about supply and demand problems and identify ways the government can help.
Companies expected to participate include Apple Inc., Ford Motor Co. , General Motors Co. , Intel Corp. , Medtronic, Samsung Electronics Co. , Stellantis NV and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
“We welcome today’s meeting and look forward to a productive discussion about the critical role of semiconductors to America’s economy, national security, and global technology leadership, as well as the need to strengthen our country’s chip supply chain,” said John Neuffer, president and chief executive of the Semiconductor Industry Association.
The administration is also ratcheting up what it calls an early-alert system to mitigate semiconductor plant shutdowns related to the spread of Covid-19’s Delta variant. U.S. diplomats to countries in Southeast Asia including Malaysia and Vietnam will be asked to work with governments to keep factories running while ensuring Covid-19-related worker protections are in place, officials said.
The chip crisis has squeezed a range of industries, from auto manufacturing to consumer electronics and medical equipment, causing prices to rise for consumers. Short-term solutions have been elusive.
Supply hasn’t kept up with pandemic-induced changes in work and entertainment habits and demand for devices such as tablets. U.S. auto makers, which cut chip orders at the onset of the pandemic only to see rising demand from other industries, have been forced to slow or cease assembly lines. The price of new and used cars has risen