Trade groups form government relations council to ease supply kinks during coronavirus crisis

A coalition of trade groups has launched a public policy council to share information between business and government leaders in an effort to create a “strategic supply chain policy approach” that addresses friction points exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis.

This Critical Infrastructure Supply Chain Council (CISCC) is a coordinated effort of more than 35 trade associations committed to addressing both long- and short-term supply chain challenges, including those made apparent by the pandemic, the group said today.

The group’s goal is to advance uniform, national polices that strengthen the country’s supply chains and ensure the timely flow of critical goods, CISCC founders said.

“The coronavirus has brought our country’s supply chains to life for consumers and policymakers, demonstrating what can happen when even just a small component of these complex networks is interrupted,” organizer Bryan Zumwalt, the vice president of public affairs for the Consumer Brands Association, said in a release. “The way we do business will inevitably evolve, and it’s the Council’s goal to ensure these issues are on the forefront of lawmakers’ minds, instead of an afterthought.”

The council will pursue that aim by: 

• sharing information with federal, state, and local officials regarding the importance and operations of critical supply chains, as well as providing recommendations and suggested best practices,
• leveraging the experience and resources of its members to engage federal, state, and local governments to find solutions when there are potential breakdowns, and
• serving as a forum across industries to anticipate, spotlight, and address future supply chain challenges.

The Consumer Brands Association, a trade group for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, said it has previously worked with federal and state agencies to implement “common-sense” policies throughout the crisis, including greater flexibility for truck weight limits and truck driver hours of service.

The CISCC executive committee includes: 

• John Bode, Corn Refiners Association
• Kim Cooper, North American Millers’ Association
• Ross Eisenberg, American Chemistry Council
• Jon Gold, National Retail Federation
• Dawson Hobbs, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
• Rachel Jones, National Association of Manufacturers
• Kelly Knowles, American Bakers Association
• Tom Madrecki, Consumer Brands Association

To see further coverage of the coronavirus crisis and how it's affecting the logistics industry, check out our Covid-19 landing page. And click here for our compilation of virus-focused websites and resource pages from around the supply chain sector.
 

The pandemic has stress tested supply chains — making it abundantly clear they need federal coordination. Today we united 35+ associations in a new effort to ensure lawmakers help shore up problems so goods can flow to people that need them. https://t.co/RvEMdiagVl

— Consumer Brands (@consumerbrands) May 6, 2020