Critical imports council to tackle key supply shortages
The Guardian|January 17, 2024
The government is setting up a critical imports council to help tackle potential restrictions in supplies to the UK of items such as medicine, minerals, food and semiconductors, amid rising geopolitical and climate threats.
Sarah Butler
Critical imports council to tackle key supply shortages

Bringing together academics and businesses, the council is expected to convene for the first time in the next three months. It will be tasked with predicting potential issues and advising on action to secure supply, such as finding alternative sources including the potential for more UK production.

The council is part of a strategy, published by the industry and economic security minister Nusrat Ghani today, to guard against what she described as disruption to global supply chains from "geopolitical fragmentation", the effects of extreme weather and new technologies. More than 100 UK firms have contributed.

Businesses will be asked to report disruption affecting critical imports via a new online portal so that government can act quickly.

The strategy was conceived during the pandemic when supply chains were affected by factory closures, but it has been given new impetus as attacks in the Red Sea threaten higher prices on imports.

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