US foresees supply chain problems “until the end” of the pandemic

Supply chain problems in USA will continue “until the pandemic is truly over,” although “improvements are expected in the coming months,” said the US Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg.

Asked about the bottlenecks in the global supply chain, the head of US Transportation recalled that companies in this country foresee an “unprecedented record” in the “level of sales” during the Christmas and festive season in the country.

Little optimism about the supply crisis

“There is a huge demand, which means that even though our ports and supply chains They are moving more products than ever, they are going to have trouble keeping up, ”Buttigieg stressed.

“Add to that the complexity and disruption that the pandemic has caused, I think we will continue to see challenges (in the supply chain) until the pandemic is truly over,” he added.

The Secretary of Transportation said, however, that there have been “good advances in the ports” of the country, such as Los Angeles and Long Beach (California), which are the two most important in the United States and have begun to operate 24 hours of the day.

“We have seen many important commitments from some of the companies involved (in the supply chain), and we believe that this will be reflected in improvements in the coming weeks and months,” he stressed.

The green development of Latin America

Buttigieg also spoke about the White House plan to present next year an initiative to invest in infrastructure in developing countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Indo-Pacific, to be called “Build back better for the world” ( Rebuild better for the world).

Asked about the possible future investments that Latin America can expect from this plan, which has the backing of the G7, the Biden cabinet member said that the details are yet to be defined, but that for Washington it is important to be “a good ally for its neighbors. ” American people.

“When we look at this continent and see the development that is taking place, we have to make sure that we back up with money what we say in our speeches, and that we support our neighbors and get a good job done, especially when it comes to green infrastructures ”, he pointed out.

“The whole world benefits when a country develops in greener terms, and much of that has to do, of course, with transport,” he added.

In addition, Buttigieg referred to the US $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure bill just passed by the US Congress, and which Biden plans to sign soon.

“This is going to be an economic engine for growth” for the United States, he guaranteed.

The pulse with China

The Secretary of Transportation, who speaks a little Spanish, wanted to reiterate in that language that the investments contained in the infrastructure law “are essential” to the United States, because “they will create millions of good jobs, millions of opportunities for big businesses and little ones”.

Buttigieg also described the content of the law as an “investment in competitiveness” that can help the United States win a fight with China.

“We see countries like China investing massively in their infrastructure, while the United States is trying to get by with infrastructures that are decades old, and that puts us at a competitive disadvantage,” he said.

He regretted that the United States “does not have an airport in the ‘top 25′” of airfields in the world, or that it has so many “bridges and roads in poor condition.”

Bet on electric vehicles

The US $ 1.2 trillion plan only contemplates about US $ 550 billion in new spending, but it is still the largest investment in public works in the United States in more than a decade, and contemplates more than US $ 110 billion to repair roads, bridges. and highways.

In addition, it dedicates funds to improve the rail network, reform ports and expand access to broadband, as well as address water supply problems and increase resilience in the face of the climate crisis.

It also spends $ 7.5 billion to create a network of electric vehicle charging stations in the United States, and Buttigieg predicted that project will be “well advanced” within five years.

“The range of electric vehicles is becoming more and more impressive, but many people, especially those who live in rural areas, or those who depend on their car for work, really need more guarantees that the entire network is up (before buying such a car) ”, he explained.

“We cannot allow having an electric vehicle to remain a luxury,” he pointed out, underlining that those who can benefit the most from this initiative are people “with the lowest incomes,” as long as the Government ensures that “chargers are more accessible and affordable ”.

Now that the infrastructure plan is a reality, Buttigieg considered it “important” that Congress also approve a social spending plan valued at US $ 1.75 trillion, and which contains investments of more than US $ 550,000 million in the fight against the climate crisis .