WASHINGTON—President Biden called for a bipartisan push to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry during a meeting with auto and tech executives that he used to pitch his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal.
“I’ve been saying for some time now, China and the rest of the world is not waiting,” Mr. Biden said Monday. “And there’s no reason why Americans should wait. We’re investing aggressively in areas like semiconductors and batteries; that’s what they’re doing and others, so must we.”
Mr. Biden spoke during a meeting between top administration officials and senior executives of Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. , Intel Corp. , Alphabet Inc. and others to address a global chip shortage that has led to production slowdowns with auto manufacturing and other industries. The executives appeared via video.
The White House signaled that no announcements or decisions were expected, characterizing the discussions as part of ongoing efforts to address the shortage.
After the meeting, the White House said participants emphasized the need to better track the semiconductor supply chain to help mitigate shortages. Transparency was a topic of discussion, according to a person familiar with the matter. Auto makers are seeking better insight from chip makers on how many will be available and when to inform production schedules. Chip manufacturers want a clearer picture of actual demand, hoping to avoid prospective so-called ghost orders that can be canceled, the person said.
