A new report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Feb. 2 showcases how many government agencies are making coordinated efforts to expand supply chain resilience with foreign partners.
The report cites the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine as two of the main causes of supply chain disruptions around the world – especially in tech-dependent goods like semiconductors.
“The agencies have coordinated with allies and partners to develop supply chain principles and plans, which include efforts to address disruptions from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine,” GAO said.
The report also outline challenges that agency officials have been able to identify as barriers to their own success – including in the area of data collection.
“To address data collection challenges, agency officials said they have developed multiple data collection and analysis initiatives,” GAO said.
“These initiatives include mapping exercises in which participating stakeholders from the U.S. and partner nations share information about how goods flow through the production process,” the government watchdog agency said.
Other challenges include the “limited flexibility in established trade agreements and programs,” as well as “pandemic -related delays or virtual alternatives to meetings, which have hampered effective diplomacy,” GAO said.
