washington president joe biden will sign an executive order on wednesday aimed at addressing a global semiconductor chip shortage that has forced us automakers and other manufacturers to cut production and alarmed the white house and members of congress administration officials saidthe scarcity exacerbated by the pandemic will be the subject when biden meets with a bipartisan group of us lawmakers on wednesday to discuss the issueadministration officials said bidens executive order to be signed at 445 pm est 2145 gmt on wednesday will launch an immediate 100day review of supply chains for four critical products semiconductor chips largecapacity batteries for electric vehicles rare earth minerals and pharmaceuticalsthe order will also direct six sector reviews modeled after the process used by the defense department to strengthen the defense industrial base it will be focused on the areas of defense public health communications technology transportation energy and food productionthe united states has been besieged by supply shortages since the onset of the pandemic which squeezed the availability of masks gloves and other personal protective equipment hurting frontline workersthe chip shortage which in some cases is forcing automakers to take employees off production lines is the latest example of supply bottlenecks hurting american workersmake no mistake were not simply planning to order up reports we are planning to take actions to close gaps as we identify them the administration official addeda group of us chip companies earlier this month urged biden to provide substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing as part of his economic recovery and infrastructure plans last summer they supported bipartisan legislation to provide tens of billions of dollars to help pay for chip manufacturing and researchthe chip scarcity has quickly grown into a major headache for the white houseford motor co recently said a lack of chips could cut the companys production by up to 20 in the first quarter while general motors said it was forced to cut output at factories in the united states canada and mexico and would reassess its production plans in midmarchus semiconductor firms account for 47 of global chip sales but only 12 of production because they have outsourced much of the manufacturing overseas according to the semiconductor industry association in 1990 the us accounted for 37 of global semiconductor productionbiden a democrat has been under pressure from republican lawmakers to do more to protect american supply chains from china by investing in domestic manufacturing of nextgeneration semiconductor chipsi strongly urge biden administration to prioritize protecting emerging and critical technologies like semiconductors from the grasp of the ccp chinese communist party us representative michael mccaul wrote in a recent letter to the white house from republicans on the house of representatives foreign affairs committeeunder bidens order the white house will look to diversify the united states supply chain dependence for specific products such as rare earth minerals from chinait will look to develop some of that production in the united states and partner with other countries in asia and latin america