Various companies including Samsung, TSMC, Alphabet, AT&T, Ford, and more will be participating in virtual White House summit today (12th April 2021). The summit is set to discuss the current situation surrounding the global shortage of semiconductors.
Notably, while Apple isn’t listed to participate in the summit, the company will be represented in proceedings by its chip supplier TSMC. As per a CNBC report, chief executives from these major tech giants will be present in the virtual summit, which arrives as the Biden administration seeks to investigate the shortages of key supply chain materials like semiconductors, high capacity batteries, rare earth materials and medical supplies as well.
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the chip suppliers that are based in Asia are unable to keep up with rising demand for semiconductors from various industries like automobile brands, including GM and Ford, and smartphone brands as well. Furthermore, the White House summit arrives as the US lawmakers are concerned over the security of the nation, which is also dependent on the supply of advanced chips. In other words, the White House is concerned regarding the gap in domestic manufacturing and the supply chain, which is predominantly based in “nations that are or are likely to become unfriendly or unstable.”
In February, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that “semiconductor manufacturing is a dangerous weak spot in our economy and in our national security.” He further added that an executive order signed by President Biden was designed to check the “resiliency and capacity of the American manufacturing supply chains and defense industrial base to support national security [and] emergency preparedness.”
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