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Supply Chain Disruption in the Time of COVID-19

Updated: Jun 13, 2020

Critical Supply Chain Infrastructure Council


NABI is a member of the CISCC and recently joined in a letter to the White House seeking better coordination of Federal agencies actions impacting the supply chain. The importance of the supply chain is more vital than ever to ensure that critical goods continue to flow in commerce.





Submitted by Electronic Mail


President Donald J. Trump 

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20500


Dear President Trump:


America’s critical infrastructure workers are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Across the United States, doctors, nurses, food production and manufacturing employees, truckers, grocery store and retail clerks and many others are answering the call to keep their fellow Americans healthy and safe.


These efforts, though, hinge on America’s supply chains. The complex networks connecting manufacturers, suppliers, transportation providers, retailers, and consumers are under unprecedented pressure to deliver essential goods and services. If those supply chains falter, so will the critical infrastructure industries they support, to the detriment of everyday Americans’ well-being.


To meet this present need, we support the creation of a new White House Office of Supply Chain that could coordinate across agencies and liaise with the private sector to develop effective strategies and policies that secure U.S. supply chains. In the short term, this office could accelerate your COVID-19 response efforts through interagency collaboration and information-sharing, ensuring that efforts are not duplicative and appropriately prioritize addressing potential supply chain disruptions. For example, PPE scarcity not only poses risks in hospital and medical settings but could contribute to operational shutdowns in the food and chemical sectors, impacting other critical industries. Moreover, adequate worker health testing is surely going to put pressure on supply chains.


As a central government clearinghouse for supply chain issues, an Office of Supply Chain could provide strategic policy recommendations, ensure interagency coordination and alignment, provide a unifying voice for the Administration and be a resource for stakeholders to raise concerns. Supply chains stretch across the jurisdiction of multiple agencies, which means that no single government entity has ever fully prioritized them with an eye toward delivering competitiveness. Long-term, the Office of Supply Chain could fill this void, advancing an interconnected, holistic policy approach to strengthen the economy, address systemic vulnerabilities, and remove obstructions to innovation.


When not faced with a global pandemic and its impact, the U.S. government has not traditionally prioritized supply chains or thought about them in an integrated way across different policy issue areas and relevant agencies. Supply chains are, in many respects, taken for granted until we need them the most. Urgent issues like PPE availability and maintaining critical infrastructure operations during a pandemic amplify their actual importance, prompting the need to align government decision making and share expertise.

The establishment of a cross-functional Office of Supply Chain, led by the White House, would be an invaluable tool in protecting hard-working Americans and enhancing resiliency during our nation’s recovery. The undersigned groups appreciate your leadership during these difficult times, and respectfully asks for your consideration of this request.


Sincerely,


American Bakers Association

American Chemistry Council

American Cleaning Institute

American Feed Industry Association

Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Consumer Brands Association

Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.

Fragrance Creators Association

International Bottled Water Association

National Association of Beverage Importers

National Automatic Merchandising Association

National Confectioners Association

National Grocers Association

National Retail Federation

National Turkey Federation

North American Millers Association

North American Renderers Association

Pet Food Institute

United Fresh Produce Association

Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association



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