Supply‑chain Labels as Coercion

Governments can weaponize administrative labels (like 'supply chain risk') to make commercial partners choose between lucrative state contracts and independent policy positions, effectively coercing firms without formal litigation or statute. That tactic combines reputational, economic, and regulatory pressure and can be used alongside statutory threats (e.g., the Defense Production Act) to extract control over sensitive AI capabilities. — If governments adopt this playbook, private firms' ability to set safety, ethical, or export rules for AI could be sharply curtailed, reshaping corporate governance and national security policy.