Supply chain resilience centre will ‘bring business and government around the table’
The US Customs and Border Protection (‘CBP’) has announced a new government entity, the Supply Chain Resilience Center (‘SCRC’) which, it says, has been ‘designed to collaborate with the private sector to better secure our supply chains [and maximize the Department of Homeland Security’s] authorities, capabilities, expertise, and data sources to help safeguard critical supply chains and associated infrastructure against hazards, including those posed by our adversaries, and emerging technologies.’
CBP says that from the get-to, the Center will ‘identify security vulnerabilities at U.S. seaports and develop concrete and actionable solutions to mitigate threats to the U.S. supply chain. This includes evaluating the risks to ports posed by adversarial nation state threats, overreliance on untrustworthy equipment subject to nation-state control, data extraction, insider risk, and unvetted virtual and physical access.’
In early 2024, it said, the SCRC ‘will release an updated compilation of key DHS port security advisories with recommendations for areas benefitting from enhanced public-private collaboration.’
Other steps planned for the Center are for it to ‘launch efforts, in coordination with the Department of Commerce and the private sector, to help secure the semiconductor supply chain, strengthen resilience, and further the implementation of the CHIPS Act,’ and ‘partner with industry to identify how the U.S. government can ensure strategically valuable infrastructure owners and operators can provide essential goods and services to the American people in instances of disruptions or shortages.’
Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers said, ‘Our job is to cut points of friction, streamline lawful trade, address security vulnerabilities head on, and help ensure American consumers and business can access the products they need. The Supply Chain Resilience Center will bring government and industry around the table so we can become more prepared and coordinated for addressing these challenges.’
