Can Donald Trump force Anthropic to hand over its AI under the Defense Production Act? 

As pressure mounts, the Cold War era law is back in focus. What powers does DPA actually give the US president and where are the limits? Scroll down to find out.

What is Defense Production Act? Can Trump force Anthropic to give Pentagon 'unconditional' access to its AI

US President Joe Biden has invoked Defense Production Act in a bid to boost clean energy production. The US has lifted tariffs on solar panels.

President Joe Biden invokes Defense Production act as the US lifts tariffs on solar panels

To speed up the production of infant formula and end acute shortage in US, President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act on Wednesday.&nbsp;Not just this, the president has also authorised flights to import supply from overseas.&nbsp;The domestic shortage has been caused by the safety-related closure of the country's largest formula manufacturing plant. The issue has become so severe that it has also started to mount political pressure over the president.&nbsp;

In a video statement, which was released by the White House, Biden said, "I know parents across the country are worried about finding enough formula to feed their babies. As a parent and as a grandparent, I know just how stressful that is."&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-backs-finland-and-swedens-historic-nato-application-480234" hreflang="en">Biden backs Finland and Sweden's 'historic' NATO application</a>

Calling it one of the top priorities, Biden, in the statement, said, "I've directed my team to do everything possible to ensure there's enough safe baby formula and that it is quickly reaching families that need it the most." &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;'It's simple and straight-forward terrorism,' Joe Biden condemns racist attack in Buffalo market

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To get quality formula supplies from overseas, Biden has also authorised the Defence Department to use commercial aircraft. The White House is calling it 'Operation Fly Formula’.&nbsp;

In a letter on Wednesday, Biden has also directed the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture to work with the Pentagon to look for formula overseas. &nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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To speed up the production of infant formula and end acute shortage in US, President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act on Wednesday. Not just this, the president has also authorised flights to import supply from overseas.

To speed up the production of infant formula and end acute shortage in US, President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act on Wednesday. Not just this, the president has also authorised flights to import supply from overseas. The domestic shortage has been caused by the safety-related closure of the country's largest formula manufacturing plant. The issue has become so severe that it has also started to mount political pressure over the president. In a video statement, which was released by the White House, Biden said, "I know parents across the country are worried about finding enough formula to feed their babies. As a parent and as a grandparent, I know just how stressful that is." Also Read: Biden backs Finland and Sweden's 'historic' NATO application Calling it one of the top priorities, Biden, in the statement, said, "I've directed my team to do everything possible to ensure there's enough safe baby formula and that it is quickly reaching families that need it the most." Watch: 'It's simple and straight-forward terrorism,' Joe Biden condemns racist attack in Buffalo market × To get quality formula supplies from overseas, Biden has also authorised the Defence Department to use commercial aircraft. The White House is calling it 'Operation Fly Formula’. In a letter on Wednesday, Biden has also directed the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture to work with the Pentagon to look for formula overseas. WATCH WION LIVE HERE (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

To end infant formula shortage, US President Joe Biden invokes Defense Production Act

As the Biden administration announced it will share 80 million<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-distribute-80-million-vaccine-doses-through-covax-india-included-in-list-white-house-389263"> vaccine</a>&nbsp;doses with the world community, the White House said it will lift the Defense Production Act ratings on the AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi COVID-19 vaccines.

Watch:

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"It's fair to say that we're far ahead of where anyone thought we would be in our fight against the virus," Jeff Zients, White House coordinator on COVID response Jeff Zients said, adding, "We have secured enough vaccine supply for all Americans."

Zients said due to the consistent supply of authorised <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-harris-phone-call-us-conveys-it-will-give-coronavirus-vaccines-to-india-389273">vaccines,</a> the US government will be removing the "DPA priority ratings" for AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi.&nbsp;

"This is a direct result of the president taking aggressive action, including through the use of the Defense Production Act&nbsp;to mobilise the full force of the US vaccine manufacturing," Biden's&nbsp;Covid 'Czar' asserted.

"While the manufacturers will continue to make these three vaccines, this action will allow the US-based companies that supply these vaccine manufacturers to make their own decisions on which orders to fulfil first," Zients stated.

The White House coordinator said 63 per cent of American adults have&nbsp;received at least one dose of the vaccine and 52 per cent of adult Americans are&nbsp;fully vaccinated and 12 states have 70 per cent of adults with at least one shot.&nbsp;

"28 states and the District of Columbia have fully vaccinated 50 per cent or more of their adult population. As a result, in communities and states across the country, the pandemic is in retreat," the White House coordinator said.

Zients added that the US government is now targeting July 4 to vaccinate as many people as possible with many pharmacies open 24 hours every Friday starting next week.

(With inputs from Agencies)

As the Biden administration announced it will share 80 million vaccine doses with the world community, the White House said it will lift the Defense Production Act ratings on the AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi COVID-19 vaccines.

As the Biden administration announced it will share 80 million vaccine doses with the world community, the White House said it will lift the Defense Production Act ratings on the AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi COVID-19 vaccines. Watch: "It's fair to say that we're far ahead of where anyone thought we would be in our fight against the virus," Jeff Zients, White House coordinator on COVID response Jeff Zients said, adding, "We have secured enough vaccine supply for all Americans." Zients said due to the consistent supply of authorised vaccines, the US government will be removing the "DPA priority ratings" for AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi. "This is a direct result of the president taking aggressive action, including through the use of the Defense Production Act to mobilise the full force of the US vaccine manufacturing," Biden's Covid 'Czar' asserted. "While the manufacturers will continue to make these three vaccines, this action will allow the US-based companies that supply these vaccine manufacturers to make their own decisions on which orders to fulfil first," Zients stated. The White House coordinator said 63 per cent of American adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 52 per cent of adult Americans are fully vaccinated and 12 states have 70 per cent of adults with at least one shot. "28 states and the District of Columbia have fully vaccinated 50 per cent or more of their adult population. As a result, in communities and states across the country, the pandemic is in retreat," the White House coordinator said. Zients added that the US government is now targeting July 4 to vaccinate as many people as possible with many pharmacies open 24 hours every Friday starting next week. (With inputs from Agencies)

US to lift Defense Production Act ratings on AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi vaccines: White House

The new US position in support of lifting&nbsp;patents&nbsp;on&nbsp;Covid-19&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;has&nbsp;taken attention away from an equally significant change by Washington, which plans to open up trade in the raw materials used to make them.

After&nbsp;having recently taken heat for blocking such exports, Commerce Secretary Katherine Tai said Wednesday that the US government would "work to increase the raw materials needed to produce those&nbsp;vaccines".

The assertion was hidden at the bottom of the statement unveiling Washington's remarkable reversal of its position&nbsp;on&nbsp;Covid-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;patents, which coincides with a shortage of doses in emerging and developing nations as cases surge in some countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-backs-india-led-fight-to-waive-covid-vaccines-patents-383092">US backs India-led fight to waive Covid vaccines patents</a>

Long legal and economic policy debates likely lie ahead about waiving&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;patents, particularly at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Meanwhile, the difficulties faced by some laboratories in obtaining components to manufacture&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;look set to stymie the drive to ramp up production.

Two labs have recently spoken out about their difficulties, laying the blame at Washington's door.

Germany's Curevac said it could&nbsp;not secure supplies of certain materials from the United States.

Several days earlier, India's Serum Institute, the world's largest&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;manufacturer, called&nbsp;on&nbsp;US President Joe Biden to step in.

"Respected @POTUS, if we are to truly unite in beating this virus,&nbsp;on&nbsp;behalf of the&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;industry outside the US, I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the US so that&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;production can ramp up," the company's president Adar Poonawalla wrote&nbsp;on&nbsp;Twitter.

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Respected <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, if we are to truly unite in beating this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the U.S., I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the U.S. so that vaccine production can ramp up. Your administration has the details. 🙏🙏
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) <a href="https://twitter.com/adarpoonawalla/status/1382978713302683653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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There is no actual embargo&nbsp;on&nbsp;exporting&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;components. Instead, Biden, like his predecessor Donald Trump, invoked the Defense Production Act,&nbsp;which normally concerns wartime,&nbsp;to confront the pandemic.

While it does not explicitly ban exports, it puts the US government first in line to buy certain products made in the country.

US officials have previously played down the possible effect of the law&nbsp;on&nbsp;global&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;production.

"There's just more global manufacturing happening everywhere in the world than suppliers can currently support,"&nbsp;a US official told a White House briefing late last month&nbsp;on&nbsp;condition of anonymity.

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Dry ice and sorbitol

Over the past two months, a number of public and private actors have noted the shrinking supply of components needed to manufacture&nbsp;vaccines.

At least 50 components, perhaps as many as 100, go into the jabs.

They include items like the glass vials to ship them, as well as certain types of plastics needed for containers used in the manufacturing process.

Then there are the ingredients themselves.&nbsp;

Curevac is particularly concerned about nucleotides, a building block for the messenger RNA&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;like the one it is developing.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-germany-rift-on-covid-vaccine-waiver-endangers-fight-against-deadly-virus-383349">US-Germany rift on Covid vaccine waiver endangers fight against deadly virus</a>

The shortage of raw materials is hardly surprising as the pharmaceutical industry expects to double production to 10 billion doses this year.

Richard Hatchett, who heads the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which along with the World Health Organization and Gavi co-runs the Covax&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;distribution initiative, spoke already in March of seeing "increasing signs of strain within supply chains".

Companies were "beginning to report spot shortages of critical materials, raw materials, critical consumables, even equipment that is necessary for&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;manufacturing," he said.

He was speaking at a meeting of the principal actors in the sector, including WHO and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA).

Already the consensus was that the free circulation of&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;components was critical, given that a large number of countries are involved in their production.

OECD data from 2018 show how thoroughly&nbsp;component&nbsp;production is intertwined across the globe.

China dominates production of the glass storage vials, while the United States leads in the manufacturing of syringes.

France is a major producer of certain stabilisers like sorbitol, while Germany is big in the production of&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;preservatives, and Mexico and China both are important manufacturers of additives that enhance the effects of&nbsp;vaccines.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands is a leader in the production of dry ice used to transport&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;that need to be kept at ultra-low temperatures.

The new US position in support of lifting patents on Covid-19 vaccines has taken attention away from an equally significant change by Washington, which plans to open up trade in the raw materials used to make them.

The new US position in support of lifting patents on Covid-19 vaccines has taken attention away from an equally significant change by Washington, which plans to open up trade in the raw materials used to make them. After having recently taken heat for blocking such exports, Commerce Secretary Katherine Tai said Wednesday that the US government would "work to increase the raw materials needed to produce those vaccines". The assertion was hidden at the bottom of the statement unveiling Washington's remarkable reversal of its position on Covid-19 vaccine patents, which coincides with a shortage of doses in emerging and developing nations as cases surge in some countries. Also read | US backs India-led fight to waive Covid vaccines patents Long legal and economic policy debates likely lie ahead about waiving vaccine patents, particularly at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Meanwhile, the difficulties faced by some laboratories in obtaining components to manufacture vaccines look set to stymie the drive to ramp up production. Two labs have recently spoken out about their difficulties, laying the blame at Washington's door. Germany's Curevac said it could not secure supplies of certain materials from the United States. Several days earlier, India's Serum Institute, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, called on US President Joe Biden to step in. "Respected @POTUS, if we are to truly unite in beating this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the US, I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the US so that vaccine production can ramp up," the company's president Adar Poonawalla wrote on Twitter. Respected @POTUS, if we are to truly unite in beating this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the U.S., I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the U.S. so that vaccine production can ramp up. Your administration has the details. 🙏🙏 — Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) April 16, 2021 × There is no actual embargo on exporting vaccine components. Instead, Biden, like his predecessor Donald Trump, invoked the Defense Production Act, which normally concerns wartime, to confront the pandemic. While it does not explicitly ban exports, it puts the US government first in line to buy certain products made in the country. US officials have previously played down the possible effect of the law on global vaccine production. "There's just more global manufacturing happening everywhere in the world than suppliers can currently support," a US official told a White House briefing late last month on condition of anonymity. Dry ice and sorbitol Over the past two months, a number of public and private actors have noted the shrinking supply of components needed to manufacture vaccines. At least 50 components, perhaps as many as 100, go into the jabs. They include items like the glass vials to ship them, as well as certain types of plastics needed for containers used in the manufacturing process. Then there are the ingredients themselves. Curevac is particularly concerned about nucleotides, a building block for the messenger RNA vaccines like the one it is developing. Also read | US-Germany rift on Covid vaccine waiver endangers fight against deadly virus The shortage of raw materials is hardly surprising as the pharmaceutical industry expects to double production to 10 billion doses this year. Richard Hatchett, who heads the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which along with the World Health Organization and Gavi co-runs the Covax vaccine distribution initiative, spoke already in March of seeing "increasing signs of strain within supply chains". Companies were "beginning to report spot shortages of critical materials, raw materials, critical consumables, even equipment that is necessary for vaccine manufacturing," he said. He was speaking at a meeting of the principal actors in the sector, including WHO and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA). Already the consensus was that the free circulation of vaccine components was critical, given that a large number of countries are involved in their production. OECD data from 2018 show how thoroughly component production is intertwined across the globe. China dominates production of the glass storage vials, while the United States leads in the manufacturing of syringes. France is a major producer of certain stabilisers like sorbitol, while Germany is big in the production of vaccine preservatives, and Mexico and China both are important manufacturers of additives that enhance the effects of vaccines. Meanwhile, the Netherlands is a leader in the production of dry ice used to transport vaccines that need to be kept at ultra-low temperatures.

After shift on vaccine patents, US backs freer flow of components