President Biden Signs Executive Order, Directs FTC to Address Agricultural Right to Repair

President Joe Biden signed an executive order this afternoon aimed at promoting competition in the United States economy. Included in this executive order is a directive to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address right to repair issues for owners of farm equipment and small electronics. The order “encourages the FTC to limit powerful equipment manufacturers from restricting people’s ability to use independent repair shops or do DIY repairs”.

The right to repair issue is widespread in many industries, including agriculture and automotive. The executive order is an effort to prevent manufacturers from imposing restrictions on repair information that can make it difficult for agricultural equipment repair. The executive order that President Biden signed this afternoon could serve as a blueprint for right to repair in the automotive industry in the future.

To read the full executive order, click here.

To read the White House Fact Sheet, click here.