Biden announces import of foreign milk powder and acceleration of domestic production to address infant formula shortage
On June 1, local time, U.S. President Biden and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Director of Public Health Vivek Murthy (Vivek Murthy) and several large milk powder Manufacturers' heads held a roundtable announcing that the U.S. government would address the U.S. infant formula shortage by importing foreign milk powder and using the Defense Production Act to speed up domestic production.
According to a statement released by the White House, the Biden administration, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will purchase about 172,365 kilograms (380,000 pounds) of milk powder from Bubs Australia, an Australian infant formula maker, and two flights to transport the milk powder will be carried out on June 6. Arrives in the US on June 9 and June 11.
In addition, the equivalent of 3.7 million (8-ounce bottles) of British Kendamil formula will start arriving in the U.S. from the U.K. next week.
In addition, the Biden administration has taken other actions, including invoking the Defense Production Act to accelerate domestic milk powder production and reaching an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to re-approve Abbott formula production and allow the FDA to exercise Enforcement discretion to import formula to ensure there is enough safe infant formula for U.S. households.
(CCTV reporter Liu Xu)