Imported baby formula would be subject to tariffs again in the new year, after the expiration of exemptions implemented amid a nationwide shortage, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The shortage that began due to pandemic-induced supply chain issues worsened in February when Abbott Laboratories, the biggest U.S. supplier, recalled some products and closed a manufacturing plant after reports of bacterial infections.

In response, U.S. health regulators relaxed import policies and shipped in millions of cans of emergency supplies from companies such as Nestle SA and Reckitt Benckiser .

According to the WSJ report, a White House spokesman said the tariff waivers doubled the number of manufacturers selling baby formula in the United States.

Congress made the tariff waivers temporary as part of a deal to pass the measures quickly, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

(Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru)