Government has taken further action to help secure the UK's supplies of critical goods with the launch of the new Critical Imports Council
Government has taken further action to help secure the UK’s supplies of critical goods such as medicines and smartphone chips with the launch of a new Critical Imports Council today (17 April).
The Council is made up of 23 industry leaders and brings together expertise from business, academia and government to advise on securing resilience in supply chains for items critical to the UK’s economic prosperity, national security and essential services.
It builds on the Government’s first-of-its-kind Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy, launched in January, and will allow business and government to work together in implementing the Strategy’s 18 actions – ensuring businesses have a central voice in shaping government’s work to build supply chain resilience.
The events of recent years have shown the world we cannot afford to take for granted the resilience of the global supply chains we rely on for our critical imports. Recent attacks in the Red Sea, the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and environmental disasters have all demonstrated the potential impact of global events on the reliable flow of vital goods.
Imported goods are crucial to our economy. They ensure lower prices, greater choice, and help businesses to be more productive. They also enable innovation, drive growth, and are essential to the UK’s world-leading industries, from aerospace to life sciences.
Business and Trade Minister and Chair of the Critical Import Council Alan Mak said:
Leading UK businesses including Rolls-Royce and Johnson Matthey will sit on the Council to help the UK develop resilient and secure supply chains that protect both business and the consumers who rely on them.
The Council will work with government to tackle the supply challenges businesses face and develop real-life solutions. Meeting quarterly, they will collaborate on emerging supply chain risks and identify the support UK businesses need to reduce vulnerabilities in supply chains – including how we use our overseas network in more than 100 countries to connect with new suppliers.
The Department for Business and Trade will also create a new online portal where businesses can report red tape or supply chain problems, allowing work to start on resolving the issues quickly.
Andy Walker, Technology Director at Johnson Matthey said:
Rhett Hatcher, CEO of UK Chamber of Shipping said:
Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive, said:
Logistics UK Chief Executive David Wells OBE said:
The Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy will enable government to share vital information and guidance with businesses on the risks to key supply chains and the practical steps they can take to protect themselves from disruption, including regular updates on emerging supply chain risks, such as new export bans on critical everyday goods imposed by other countries.
Please see below the full list of members attending today’s Critical Imports Council:
Background
The Department for Business and Trade published the first-of-its-kind Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy in January 2024.