Supply Chain Research

Supply Chain Edge: A novel, bottlenecked future; big meet, small gains; realigning Peloton

October 2, 2026

– Our latest outlook reports dig into the prospects for global trade policy and the logistics sector heading into 2027. In trade policy, the US will remain the center of volatility, with new Section 301 tariffs focused on manufacturing capacity as well as the increasing use of novel techniques... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Trade deal rivalry, expanding tires in mainland China, tracking trends in booze

September 25, 2026

– Trilateral trade deal talks between the US, Mexico and Canada have been disrupted, but that has not prevented any of the parties from pursuing other agreements. The US and Mexico have ongoing bilateral talks, with the prospect of a deal including tariff relief coming before the US midterm el... Read more →

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Supply Chain Edge: Destructive competition; technology back-to-basics; early Halloween horror

September 18, 2026

– Much of the trade protectionism launched in the past two years around the world has been in response to mainland China’s surging exports. In new research, we take a deep dive into the impact of mainland China’s anti-involution policies that seek to curb those exports, and find new energy sec... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Canada cutoff, El Niño preempted, SpaceX’s new launch

September 11, 2026

– Escalation has been a theme in the past week in global trade policy. The US decision to bar certain imports from Canada only covers about US$1.04 billion-worth of products, but is a sign of the path ahead for tariff policy. A move by the mainland Chinese government to apply 99.2% tariffs on ... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Chips tariffs ahead; China guides autos competition; chillers and diggers service AI

September 4, 2026

– Global trade policy is dynamic, and so are the tariffs that result from such policies. The US is set to introduce a new round of tariffs on semiconductors just as non-AI demand is slowing, while adaptations to beef quotas seek to address consumer concerns. Canada has also adapted its duties ... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Four ways to use refunds, AI decision-making, Dolphin’s disruptions and Lego’s diversification

August 28, 2026

– Trade negotiations between Canada and the US have been suspended, with Canada applying tariffs on US imports that will affect 23.9% of US exports of the products covered (in the 12 months to June 30, 2026) across consumer goods, materials and machinery. Further countermeasures from the US ar... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Ford and Google cut back mainland China, Hanwha to expand in the US

August 21, 2026

– We continue our reshoring series this week with Indonesia. Successive governments have attempted to convert the country’s rich resource heritage into industrial development, with a wide range of trade deals including the US and EU upcoming as well as pragmatic relations with mainland China. ... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Polysilicon’s pricing, Thailand’s attractions, Ukraine’s robust consumers

August 14, 2026

Key findings

– August is supposed to be about vacations, but has become the month of trade policy changes. The US government’s Section 232 tariffs for polysilicon come with the new complication of price floors that, when combined with prior duties, set solar module tariffs at 105.5%. T... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Problematic planning, the return of drop shipping and dumped duck meat

August 6, 2026

– Technology supply chains have faced shortages and rising prices in 2026, and recent statements from Apple Inc. on memory costs as well as the latest capital expenditure forecasts from the hyperscalers suggest pressures will continue into 2027 and beyond.
– Relieving sourcing pressures,... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Adapting tariffs, blocking inverters, supplying sunscreen

July 31, 2026

– Global trade policy remains in a period of rapid change. The US Section 301 tariffs applied to 60 economies have largely replaced Section 122 tariffs and could generate as much as US$101.7 billion in tariffs annually. Not all tariffs stay in place, with aluminum duties being adjusted for fir... Read more →