Ongoing Supply Shortages Pose Threat to U.S. Infrastructure
Producers of various goods, spanning from pickup trucks to homes, continue to face challenges due to limited supplies of microchips and cement. These shortages could result in delays and increased expenses for federal initiatives aimed at supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression, as well as revitalizing America’s deteriorating infrastructure and manufacturing sector.
According to Yahoo News, the supply chain woes that sent costs soaring and spurred shortages of everything from toilet paper to passenger cars are easing for retail-focused industries, but remain stubbornly persistent in important growth sectors like autos, machinery, defense and non-residential construction, experts said.
“For sectors where demand is still strong, we are still seeing issues of materials shortages, and these problems will take additional time to resolve,” said Jason Miller, associate professor of logistics at Michigan State University’s business school.
“One of the big issues as we’re trying to ramp up the military industrial base is having enough electronic components,” Miller said.
Companies that make war weapons like shoulder-fired Javelin and Stinger missiles are awaiting U.S. funding before starting new production for Ukraine. When the defense industry gets that greenlight, their scramble to source semiconductors and other hard-to-find electronic components could usher in a new wave of supply chain snarls that disrupt production and drive up costs.
