The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it is providing logistical support to import the equivalent of about 16 million 8-ounce baby formula bottles from Mexico starting this weekend, as part of its efforts to alleviate nationwide supply shortages due to the closure of the largest factory in the United States.

Meanwhile, the White House said the Department of Health and Human Services is expediting truck travel that will drive about 1 million pounds of baby formula (Gerber Good Start Gentle) from the Nestlé factory to U.S. retailers, nearly doubling the amount imported to the United States so far. Shipping flights from Europe and Australia have already brought baby formula to the U.S., including two new rounds of air shipments starting this weekend.

The White House is working to make more supplies available as it faced pressure from parents over supply issues after regulators closed a Michigan factory operated by Abbott in February, which is the largest domestic baby formula factory due to safety concerns. The factory was reopened on June 4 after the company committed to additional sterilization and safety protocols, but it has been closed again for more than a week after severe weather caused damage to the factory.

The company said it needs time to assess the damage and re-clean the factory after severe thunderstorms and heavy rains swept through southwest Michigan on June 13.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration moved to ease federal import regulations to allow baby formula shipments into the United States, and Biden authorized using the Defense Production Act to provide federal support for transporting formula from abroad to the United States.

The White House said that by June 26, efforts, dubbed "Operation Fly Formula," will have brought 32 flights and nearly 19 million 8-ounce baby formula bottles into the United States.