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12/23/2024
The U.S. Department of Transportation last week released its 2021-2024 quadrennial supply chain review, including a four-year review of supply chains for the transportation industrial base.
In January 2021, U.S. supply chains were in disrepair from COVID-19 disruptions and decades of underinvestment in infrastructure, said USDOT officials in a press release. Through the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021, the USDOT strengthened supply chain resiliency by modernizing ports, rail systems, highways and transportation systems.
“In less than four years, we’ve gone from supply chain disruptions unlike anything we’ve seen in peacetime, to much higher levels of resiliency and reliability. That work has helped make it possible to move record levels of cargo in and out of the U.S., bring shipping costs down, and ensure essential goods arrive on time,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Additionally, the USDOT created an Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy to oversee freight networks and supply chains. This office created the Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) program, which was designed to bring together leaders and representatives from freight carriers, cargo owners, logistics providers, port operators and trade associations to share information about upcoming challenges and system operations.
The supply chain review also includes priority actions to maintain and continue a strong freight transportation network. Action items include increasing domestic manufacturing of port cranes, shipbuilding and nearshoring, electric vehicles and batteries. Additionally, the USDOT recommends increasing supplier diversity in the aerospace manufacturing sector and improving data transparency between private and public sector members of the supply chain to improve adaptability and resiliency.