On March 18, 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order on prioritizing and allocating health and medical resources to respond to the spread of COVID-19 in the US, citing the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), as amended (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.). The DPA confers on the President, and his administration, a broad set of authorities to ensure domestic industry can meet national defense requirements. The President made his announcement specifically to respond to the need for medical supplies to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Our colleagues in our Washington DC office, Karen R. Harbaugh, Jack Deschauer, and Pablo E. Carrillo, have prepared a detailed client advisory covering the substance, process, and requirements under the DPA and the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) regulation (15 C.F.R. Part 700). Click below to read more: