White House Convenes Summit To Address Supply Shortage Crippling Auto Plants

NPR ^ | April 12, 20215:01 AM ET | SCOTT DETROW -

[deport]

President Biden's top national security and economic advisers are trying to address a critical supply crunch that is slowing U.S. automobile manufacturing and threatens other sectors, including national security, according to experts.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan, National Economic Council director Brian Deese, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimodo will meet with executives from 19 companies to discuss growing shortage of semiconductors, a key component of many computerized electronics.

The shortage touches nearly every industry, but U.S. auto makers have been especially hit hard. General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (formed by a merger involving Fiat Chrysler) have all temporarily closed down auto plants, as the companies wait for more supplies of the parts needed for increasingly computerized cars.

[a fool in paradise]

China

[Sacajaweau]

I wish I still had roll down windows and that little vent window.

I wish gas was still 27 cents a gallon. LOL

[albie]

So the meeting will have the same result as any other. Continue the crises. “Stay home, stay safe, wear a mask.”

[Da Coyote]

Today’s white house (capitol letters deliberately not there) residents think that those car chips come in bags with salt.

[Candor7]

I thought PDJT solved this with a MAJOR CHIP SET MANUFACTURE Taiwanese Company agreeing to set up in the USA.

[COBOL2Java]

I remember driving with my Dad and he thought 27 cents a gallon in NY was outrageous, LOL. We’d drive up to his hometown of Montpelier, VT and the gas there was 20 cents, as I recall...

[\/\/ayne]

I remember when the Japanese went to help the Soviets by creating a robot-controlled transmission factory. Soon they had transmissions packing the warehouses because regular car production was at the same Soviet pace.

Everything is going to slow down, now - there will be many problems with getting anything done. To cut corners, companies will pollute more as officials look the other way. All part of the new USSA.

[BobL]

“China”

Agree, it does appear that China is ‘turning the screws a bit’ here. Probably retaliation for Blinken’s strong statements on Taiwan.

[mosaicwolf]

A White House “Summit”? That will solve the problem. Oh wait! They will find out that the shortage only effects fossil fuel burning cars and trucks. How stupid of me.

[central_va]

If they announce across the board HUGE REAL import tariffs on all IMPORTED car parts then I am a Biden fan all the way.

[palmer]

I thought PDJT solved this with a MAJOR CHIP SET MANUFACTURE Taiwanese Company agreeing to set up in the USA.

Yes, TSMC. But those processors are high end for iPhones and computers. The processors used in cars are less powerful and much cheaper. The car parts are actually more flexible with more I/O needed to make measurements and control the voltages needed to run the car.

[jughandle]

I can blame Joe that the stage 2 cam for my truck is backordered with no available ship date?

[Jeff Chandler]

Why don’t the Democrats just “deem” the chips into existence?

[EBH]

Never let a crisis go to waste...que up the new electric cars

[Old Yeller]

The big question is, how can Hunter benefit from this.

[Candor7]

Thanks Palmer. I bet the auto unions are frying geriatric Joe’s ass on this issue.

Maybe TSMC has a subsidiary?

[Carriage Hill]

According to some friends in the business, we also have an aluminum shortage.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Never let a crisis go to waste...que up the new electric cars"

Which take even more such chips, plus other not-so-readily available materials (lithium and rare earths).

[goodnesswins]

Had forgotten about the little vent window...I’d like one of those!