Digital Product Passports: A Call for Digitization in U.S. Manufacturing

In March 2024, the European Union introduced digital product passports (DPPs) for most goods sold within its borders, a milestone step in enhancing global supply chain transparency. By 2026, these digital records — detailing a product’s origins, materials, environmental impact and disposal instructions — will be legally enforced, transforming how industries track and share product information.

In the EU, priority industries like batteries and vehicles are already beginning preparations to integrate DPPs into their production processes. Despite their potential to revolutionize traceability, build customer trust, supercharge manufacturing efficiency, and increase our competitive edge, the U.S. has yet to embrace this groundbreaking approach. 

While domestic manufacturing has made significant strides in improving supply chain optimization, data analytics and product development, many strategies focus on fragmented, one-off high-priority pilots, rather than long-term systematic approaches. The benefits are, therefore, often short-lived. 

DPPs offer the chance to set a new standard for supply chain visibility in domestic manufacturing. They come at a perfect time, with the industry poised for a milestone year. While enforcement of DPPs won’t begin until 2026 in Europe, manufacturers can take early action to embrace the principles that support them, and future-proof their operations.

To remain competitive in the global market and strengthen domestic manufacturing, U.S. manufacturers must prioritize the foundational principles of transparency and quality on which DPP is built. Eur…