I doubt there's a thing the Feds can do to secure sustainable quantities of Silver they need any more than they are able to acquire Rare Earths. They have relied on paper markets to trump physical demand for far too long and now the paper markets are not functioning as desired and are in fact failing. He who has the goods is now King.

Many "thanks" to the SUA for the permanent quandry they've created out of their own selfish needs. The Silver chicken has come home to roost. It is as strategic an asset for the US as it is for China. The only difference between these competitors is that China has a long-term vision to secure the real deal versus the OECD countries which through its arrogance thought that paper-based pricing would control the supply chain ad infinitum. Lousy bet.

I believe this is exactly the outcome Sinclair has been warning us for so long - the inevitable day when the traditional supply chains for all goods will fail as their paper-based price discovery derivatives counterparts go the way of the dodo bird. Food and other essential supplies will eventually experience delivery delays as is the case with Silver today, when their respective future markets compete with real demand dominated by a cash market. In a nutshell you need to have the means to store essentials or produce them, or go without. Keep a close watch on the options expiry dates for clues on how quickly this mess will unfold.