Along with the release today of the 250-page report, “Building U.S. Resilient Supply Chains, Revitalizing American Manufacturing, and Fostering Broad-Based Growth,” with the conclusions of the review of U.S. supply-chain vulnerabilities ordered by Biden 100 days before, came the announcement that the U.S. Trade Representative will lead a new “strike force” against foreign competitors. Its mandate is the same old geopolitical trade war crap: “To propose unilateral and multilateral enforcement actions against unfair foreign trade practices that have eroded critical supply chains,” while using trade agreements “to strengthen collective approaches to supply chain resilience with U.S. partners and allies.”
Its primary target is China. The White House Fact Sheet on the report’s conclusions states that “supply chain resilience should be incorporated into the U.S. trade policy approach towards China, including in the ongoing review of U.S.-China trade policy.”
This targeting especially applies in the area of critical minerals and materials, of which lithium is a big concern because of all the batteries the Biden team wants made for their Green electric- cars-only schemes. “China, using state-led, non-market interventions, captured large portions of value chains in several critical minerals and materials necessary for national and economic security,” the Fact Sheet whines. Therefore, “the United States must work with allies and partners to diversify supply chains away from adversarial nations and sources with unacceptable environmental and labor standards.”
