The coronavirus pandemic opened Americans’ eyes to the vulnerability of our supply chains and our over-reliance on critical goods from foreign nations.
Many people suddenly realized, at the height of the pandemic, that the important medical products we urgently needed – like masks and ventilators – were coming from abroad.
And it is not just medical products. We are dependent on countries that are not reliable trading partners for automotive parts, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and even naturally occurring materials like uranium and critical minerals.
The United States must take strong action to secure our most critical supply chains, and, predominantly through research and development, the Department of Energy (DOE) is playing an important role in the Trump administration’s efforts to do just that.
Three areas of recent focus, in which DOE is striving to reduce import reliance, are critical minerals, uranium, and critical infrastructure components.
For the rest of this column: https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/508055-a-safe-prosperous-nation-requires-secure-supply-chains