✅   The U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program: An Industrial Policy Triumph during World War II

tech

How can the United States quickly build secure, domestic supply chains for critical resources? It’s a question on minds in Washington, especially in the shadow of China’s tightening restrictions on the export of critical minerals, battery technology, and drone inputs to the United States. In early December 2024, Beijing announced a ban on the sale of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the United States—minerals critical for semiconductors, fiber optic cables, and solar cells. Fortunately, Washington has an industrial policy playbook for crash‑building essential supply chains at home and with allies, even if it’s little remembered. It was written in World War II, and the critical resource in question was rubber...

American Affairs     Feb 20, 2025