An agreement signed by the United States and 13 other Indo-Pacific countries aimed at reinforcing their supply chains will enter into force on Feb. 24, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework deal will allow the countries, including Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, to work more closely in dealing with supply chain disruptions, such as in the event of a pandemic, by helping each other secure critical industrial items and minerals. The economic initiative, known as IPEF, was launched by U.S. President Joe Biden in Tokyo in M…