US State Department to pilot AI supply chain platform in Panama under Pax Silica pact as 10 new partners join
New Delhi, June 27
The US Department of State said late Friday that it will launch a pilot AI supply chain credentialing project in Panama as part of its Pax Silica initiative, aimed at securing and accelerating shipments of semiconductors, AI infrastructure and critical minerals through trusted trade routes. The pilot was announced at the 2026 Pax Silica Summit, where close to three dozen economies also signed a Joint Statement on AI Opportunity endorsing a pro-growth, pro-innovation regulatory approach to artificial intelligence.
The announcement came after the conclusion of the second Pax Silica Summit. The Department plans to issue a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity for a new Pax Silica Artificial Intelligence Assistance Project for Panama and other Pax Silica partners that ship high-value AI supply chain products through Panama. The project will develop an AI supply chain credentialing and provenance platform to expedite customs and logistics for vetted shipments of semiconductors, AI infrastructure, critical minerals and related products. The platform is envisioned to integrate with existing customs, port operator and shipper tracking systems. If the pilot with Panama's ports and customs authorities is successful, the Department would expand the project in a second phase to other Pax Silica countries and economies.
Launched in December 2025 by Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, Pax Silica is the State Department's flagship effort on AI and supply chain security. The initiative seeks to build economic security consensus among allies to advance secure and innovative supply chains spanning critical minerals, energy inputs, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and AI infrastructure.
The 2026 Summit also marked a major expansion of the pact. Ten additional partners such as Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, the European Union, Germany, Greece, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands and Panama, signed the Pax Silica Declaration. Including the new additions, the pact now counts 24 signatories, with the new members joining Australia, Finland, India, Israel, Japan, Norway, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sweden, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Taiwan has endorsed the declaration principles via a joint statement on US-Taiwan economic security cooperation.
Separately, the United States and nearly three dozen Pax Silica economies signed a Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, aligning on empowering builders, startups, developers and the private sector while securing global AI supply chains. Signatories include Argentina, Australia, Germany, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others.
The summit also saw the launch of the Foundry School initiative with Stanford University. Under Secretary Helberg unveiled the workforce program, which will feature a seminar series for advanced manufacturing founders and CEOs and a new curriculum jointly developed by Stanford and the State Department for adoption across Pax Silica economies.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Another US-led initiative where India is a junior partner 😕 Why don't we build our own platforms instead of relying on American credentialing systems? Technology sovereignty matters too.
Panama is a choke point—makes sense to pilot there. But what about China's Belt and Road? Are we effectively choosing sides in a tech cold war? As an Indian taxpayer, I want to see clear benefits for our semiconductor manufacturing push.
Foundry School with Stanford sounds promising for workforce development. We have so many talented engineers in India—hope this creates real training opportunities and not just another talk shop. 🤞
Interesting that Taiwan is endorsing via a joint statement but not formally joining. That's deliberate diplomacy—US doesn't want to provoke China unnecessarily. India should watch how this plays out before deepening commitments. We have our own border concerns to manage.
Pro-innovation regulatory approach is exactly what we need. Meanwhile, Indian regulators are still figuring out basic AI guidelines. If we want to be a Pax Silica leader, we need to fix our domestic policies first. 🐢
At least India is at the table this time. Remember how we were
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