Supply Chain Research

IDC estimate that global PC shipments contracted 1.5% in the fourth quarter of 2016, with the U.S. declining slightly. Panjiva data for imports show a worse situation than that. Total U.S. imports fell 13% due to a 17% slump in laptop shipments. More positively, average unit values increased 5% – possibly due to the new Macbook – while server imports climbed 7%. In servers, Chinese manufacturers expanded at the expense of those in Mexico. Computer production is a top 50 export to the U.S. from Mexico, so will get drawn into the renegotiation of NAFTA. Concerns about tariffs may also have...