May 25, 2021—The semiconductor shortage has affected a wide range of industries outside the automotive sector, so automakers won’t get priority over other chip users, according to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Raimondo held meetings Thursday with about three dozen stakeholders, including executives from Ford Motor Co. and General Motors as well as technology companies and chip suppliers.
“They are really struggling,” Raimondo said of automakers. But she cited other chip users dealing with the crunch, including electronics and medical-device makers. Ms. Raimondo said while she is making the case for the auto industry, she is not calling for it to get special treatment. “I would not favor that approach; I have not been doing that,” she said.
The ongoing semiconductor chip shortage is expected to cost the global automotive industry $110 billion in revenue in 2021.
