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US aims to ease semiconductor crunch by working more closely with allies and private sector, says senior US official

  • The US will build on the momentum from the G20 summit that took place in Rome last week
  • Supporting Taiwan should be part of a broader plan to secure the semiconductor supply chain, a former policymaker said

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A laboratory engineer inspects a computer chip. Photo: Shutterstock
The United States will focus on addressing supply chain shortages, particularly in semiconductors, building off of strength from the recent G20 leaders’ summit to further ramp up collaboration with other allied countries and the private sector, a senior US official said on Wednesday.
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The semiconductor supply shortage is among the most urgent issues the US government is focused on, said Matt Murray, a senior official in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the State Department. 

And the US has “very much prioritised government to government exchanges and dialogues” to see “what we can do on international engagement to help ameliorate the short term disruptions”, Murray said at a department briefing.

Murray said the US would build on the momentum from the G20 summit that took place in Rome over the weekend, where US President Joe Biden discussed the importance of supply chain resilience, among other key issues, with the world leaders.
Cargo containers sit stacked at the Port of Los Angeles on October 20. Photo: AP
Cargo containers sit stacked at the Port of Los Angeles on October 20. Photo: AP
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Their conversations were “incredibly important” to touch upon areas like transparency, diversity, supply, security, and sustainability, all of which are “very relevant to the challenges we’re currently facing in the semiconductor sector”, Murray added.

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