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National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security Announced

Summary: 
The Obama Administration is taking an important step to strengthen and protect the worldwide network of transportation, postal, and shipping assets and their supporting infrastructures

International trade is vital to the American economy and supports our way of life.  Businesses today have global footprints and are supported by an ever evolving global supply chain system. As a number of recent events remind us, this system is dynamic and complex but also vulnerable to numerous threats.  These threats, such as pandemics, natural disasters, or attacks involving weapons of mass destruction could undermine the continuity of the global supply chain system as a whole.  Also, because of the interconnectedness of the system, even smaller, localized events could escalate rapidly and cause significant disruptions.

Today, with the announcement of the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, we take an important step to strengthen and protect this vital system. The Strategy, focused on the worldwide network of transportation, postal, and shipping assets and supporting infrastructures, articulates our national vision and approach, and encourages collaborative implementation with key State, local, tribal, territorial, private sector and international stakeholders.

This Strategy provides an integrated United States Government perspective on a complex and global issue.  It recognizes that we can and must promote security and efficiency in the supply chain system rather than seek to “balance” them as mutually exclusive ends.  It emphasizes our need to foster a resilient system that can absorb shocks and recover rapidly from disruptions. And it endorses an overall approach that involves integrating efforts to manage risk, leverage a layered defense, and identify and resolve threats as early as possible.

As much of the global supply chain is owned and operated by entities outside of the United States Government, the success of this strategy will depend upon our ability to work with other stakeholders.  We are committed to working in coordination with industry partners, the international community, and others around the globe to translate this strategic vision into concrete action.  Ata time when budgets are constrained, we will seek to develop smarter solutions and new efficiencies by enhancing our information sharing procedures and capabilities, synchronizing standards and procedures, prioritizing and aligning activities according to risk management principles, and leveraging the expertise and resources of industry and foreign partners in pursuit of our shared interests. 

Additional information on opportunities for engagement and on the process for submitting recommendations specific to the implementation of the Strategy is available via the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

Learn more: Read the Fact Sheet