Sept 24 -- The Office of Technology Evaluation, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce seeks responses from interested parties (including domestic and foreign semiconductor design firms, semiconductor manufacturers, materials and equipment suppliers, as well as semiconductor intermediate and end-users) to questions regarding semiconductor supply chain vulnerabilities.
The Department of Commerce (“Department”) (Bureau of Industry (“BIS”)) led the 100-Day Supply Chain Review of semiconductors and advanced packaging that was mandated by Presidential Executive Order. On February 24, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on “America's Supply Chains,” which directs several federal agency actions to secure and strengthen America's supply chains. This review, included in the White House Report “Building Resilient Supply Chains, Revitalizing American Manufacturing, and Fostering Broad-Based Growth” (
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/100-day-supply-chain-review-report.pdf), identified numerous areas of supply chain vulnerabilities. The ongoing shortages in the semiconductor product supply chain are having an adverse impact on a wide range of industry sectors. With the goal of accelerating information flow across the various segments of the supply chain, identifying data gaps and bottlenecks in the supply chain, and potential inconsistent demand signals, the Department is seeking responses from interested parties (including domestic and foreign semiconductor design firms, semiconductor manufacturers, materials and equipment suppliers, as well as semiconductor intermediate and end-users) to the questions set forth in this notice.
While the Department invites input from all interested parties, it is particularly interested in obtaining information from foreign and domestic entities that actively participate in the semiconductor product supply chain at any level ( e.g., semiconductor design, front end semiconductor wafer fabrication, semiconductor assembly test and packaging, microelectronics assembly, intermediate and end-users of semiconductors and microelectronics, distributors of such products, as well as entities supporting semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing as providers of materials and equipment).
FR notice inviting public comments:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/09/24/2021-20348/notice-of-request-for-public-comments-on-risks-in-the-semiconductor-supply-chain
WH Blog -- When the Chips Are Down: Preventing and Addressing Supply Chain Disruptions by Sameera Fazili and Peter Harrell:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/blog/2021/09/23/when-the-chips-are-down-preventing-and-addressing-supply-chain-disruptions/
Readout of Biden Administration Convening to Discuss and Address Semiconductor Supply Chain, Sept 23:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/23/readout-of-biden-administration-convening-to-discuss-and-address-semiconductor-supply-chain/
Washington Post, Semiconductor shortage that has hobbled manufacturing worldwide is getting worse, Sept 23:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/09/23/chip-shortage-forecast-automakers/