TTC calls for comments on semiconductor and critical mineral supply chain resilience
The US Bureau of Industry and Security is requesting comments on ‘how to advance supply chain resilience and security in key sectors: Semiconductors; solar photovoltaics; critical minerals and materials including rare earth magnets, lithiumion batteries, and material inputs to semiconductors; and pharmaceuticals.’
The comments are for the purpose of informing the work of the United States European Union Trade and Technology Council (‘TTC’) Secure Supply Chains Working Group, which, it says, is ‘tasked with increasing transparency of supply and demand, mapping respective existing sectoral capabilities, exchanging information on policy measures and research and development priorities, and cooperating on strategies to promote supply chain resilience and diversification.’
As WorldECR has described in previous reporting (and as elaborated on during the WorldECR Virtual Forum by Davide Follador from DG TRADE in the European Commission), ‘The main goals of the TTC are to expand and deepen bilateral trade and investment; avoid new technical barriers to trade; cooperate on key policies regarding technology, digital issues and supply chains; support collaborative research; cooperate on the development of compatible and international standards; cooperate on regulatory policy and enforcement; and promote innovation and leadership by US and EU firms.
‘The TTC’s ten working groups provide a framework for tackling challenges and advancing work aligned with some of our shared trade and technology priorities. These include cooperation on technology standards; global trade challenges and supply chain security; climate and clean technology; Information and Communications Technology (ICT) security and competitiveness; data governance and technology platforms; the misuse of technology threatening security and human rights; export controls; investment screening; and access to, and use of, digital technologies by small and medium enterprises.’
