Supply Chain Research

The EU represented a rare bright spot in global trade in October. Exports in euro terms climbed 5.6% year over year, accelerating from an improvement from 2.7% in 3Q due to higher shipments from Italy and the Netherlands. In dollar terms there was a less impressive 1.6% expansion, but that still beat falling exports from the U.S. and China as the two waged their trade war. The EU’s improvements couldn’t prevent a drop in global exports from 37 countries plus the EU of 3.0% year over year in October. That followed consecutive declines in the first three quarters of 2019. The outlook isn’t...