Designation To Exercise Authority Over the National Defense Stockpile

The United States needs resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains to ensure our economic prosperity, national security, and national competitiveness. In Executive Order 14017 of February 24, 2021 (America's Supply Chains), I directed a comprehensive review of America's supply chains to ensure that they are resilient in the face of a range of risks. One critical component of safeguarding supply chain resilience and industrial base health is ensuring that both the Federal Government and the private sector maintain adequate quantities of supplies, equipment, or raw materials on hand to create a buffer against potential shortages and import dependencies. Some of the Federal Government's key tools to maintain adequate quantities of supplies to guard against such shortages and dependencies are the United States national stockpiles, including the National Defense Stockpile. By strengthening the National Defense Stockpile, the Federal Government will both ensure that it is keeping adequate quantities of goods on hand and provide a model for the private sector, while recognizing that private sector stockpiles and reserves can differ from government ones. This order confers authority related to the release of strategic and critical materials from the National Defense Stockpile to improve Federal Government efforts around stockpiling for national defense purposes.

In accordance with section 98f of title 50, United States Code, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (Under Secretary) is designated to have authority to release strategic and critical materials from the National Defense Stockpile.

In executing the authority conferred by this order, the Under Secretary may release strategic and critical materials from the National Defense Stockpile for use, sale, or other disposition only when required for use, manufacture, or production for purposes of national defense. No release is authorized for economic or budgetary purposes. Prior to ordering the release of strategic and critical materials from the National Defense Stockpile, the Under Secretary shall consult with the heads of relevant executive departments and agencies.

(a) All previously issued orders, regulations, rulings, certificates, directives, and other actions relating to any function affected by this order shall remain in effect except to the extent that they are inconsistent with this order or are subsequently amended or revoked under proper authority. Nothing in this order shall affect the validity or force of anything done under previous delegations or another assignment of authority under the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act.

(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: