NABI Joins Critical Infrastructure Supply Chain Council (CISCC) to Safeguard Supply Chains
March 27, 2020
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Department of Homeland Security, issued “Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce : Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response”1 to identify essential businesses and essential workers in order for States, local government, and private industry to use as guidance during a “shelter in place” order.
Food, including beverage products, is an essential sector of the critical infrastructure as cited in the CSIA guidance below. Employees supporting beverage distribution supply chains are essential positions. _____________________ is an employee of ________________ which is a licensed importer of alcohol beverages and is an essential worker engaged in or directly supports the distribution supply chain of alcohol beverages.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE •Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies, convenience stores, and other retail that sells human food, animal/pet food, and beverage products •Employees and firms supporting food, feed, and beverage distribution, including warehouse workers, vendor- managed inventory controllers and blockchain managers
TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS •Employees supporting or enabling transportation functions, including truck drivers, bus drivers, dispatchers, maintenance and repair technicians, warehouse workers, truck stop and rest area workers, and workers that maintain and inspect infrastructure (including those that require cross-jurisdiction travel) •Employees of firms providing services that enable logistics operations, including cooling, storing, packaging, and distributing products for wholesale or retail sale or use. https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CISA_Guidance_on_the_Essential_Critical_Infrastructure_W orkforce_508C_0.pdf
Issued on March 19, 2020 and revised on March 23, 2020.
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May 6, 2020
Dear President Trump: America’s critical infrastructure workers are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Across the United States, doctors, nurses, food production and manufacturing employees, truckers, grocery store and retail clerks and many others are answering the call to keep their fellow Americans healthy and safe. These efforts, though, hinge on America’s supply chains. The complex networks connecting manufacturers, suppliers, transportation providers, retailers, and consumers are under unprecedented pressure to deliver essential goods and services. If those supply chains falter, so will the critical infrastructure industries they support, to the detriment of everyday Americans’ well-being.
To meet this present need, we support the creation of a new White House Office of Supply Chain that could coordinate across agencies and liaise with the private sector to develop effective strategies and policies that secure U.S. supply chains. In the short term, this office could accelerate your COVID-19 response efforts through interagency collaboration and information-sharing, ensuring that efforts are not duplicative and appropriately prioritize addressing potential supply chain disruptions. For example, PPE scarcity not only poses risks in hospital and medical settings but could contribute to operational shutdowns in the food and chemical sectors, impacting other critical industries. Moreover, adequate worker health testing is surely going to put pressure on supply chains.
As a central government clearinghouse for supply chain issues, an Office of Supply Chain could provide strategic policy recommendations, ensure interagency coordination and alignment, provide a unifying voice for the Administration and be a resource for stakeholders to raise concerns. Supply chains stretch across the jurisdiction of multiple agencies, which means that no single government entity has ever fully prioritized them with an eye toward delivering competitiveness. Long-term, the Office of Supply Chain could fill this void, advancing an interconnected, holistic policy approach to strengthen the economy, address systemic vulnerabilities, and remove obstructions to innovation.
Consumer Brands Association
1001 19th Street North, 7th floor Arlington, VA 22209
(571)378-6760 www.consumerbrandsassociation.org
When not faced with a global pandemic and its impact, the U.S. government has not traditionally prioritized supply chains or thought about them in an integrated way across different policy issue areas and relevant agencies. Supply chains are, in many respects, taken for granted until we need them the most. Urgent issues like PPE availability and maintaining critical infrastructure operations during a pandemic amplify their actual importance, prompting the need to align government decision- making and share expertise.
The establishment of a cross-functional Office of Supply Chain, led by the White House, would be an invaluable tool in protecting hard-working Americans and enhancing resiliency during our nation’s recovery. The undersigned groups appreciate your leadership during these difficult times, and respectfully asks for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
American Bakers Association American Chemistry Council American Cleaning Institute American Feed Industry Association Association of Equipment Manufacturers Consumer Brands Association Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. Fragrance Creators Association International Bottled Water Association National Association of Beverage Importers National Automatic Merchandising Association National Confectioners Association National Grocers Association National Retail Federation National Turkey Federation North American Millers Association North American Renderers Association Pet Food Institute United Fresh Produce Association Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association
Download a copy of the CISCC Press Release here: