Supply Chain Research

Supply Chain Edge: Olympian sourcing, Mexican metals, expensive memories

July 26, 2024

– The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games present an opportunity to revive the declining sports equipment and apparel supply chains, which saw US imports drop from US$20.97 billion in 2021 to US$14.85 billion in 2023.
– Elsewhere in consumer goods, there are protests in Bangladesh an... Read more →

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Supply Chain Edge: Rates rise, corporate concerns, tariffs trigger tariffs

May 24, 2024

• Manufacturing conditions across G4 nations improved in May, according to S&P Global’s Flash Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), moving from 48.3 to 49.6 and closer to neutral. Separately, measures of US manufacturing output were relatively flat. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBA... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Aluminum sanctioned, Aries seized, Apple spreads

April 19, 2024

• The UK and US have applied new rules to limit Russia’s earnings from aluminum, copper and nickel, but the main result may just be shifting trade flows. The Biden administration is also launching a new range of aluminum and steel tariffs. Indonesia’s nickel policies may have claimed another v... Read more →

South Africa protests may disrupt supply chains for Lenzing, Mahle

July 14, 2021

Political protests in Durban, South Africa have led container-line Maersk to close some of its facilities in the city and have reportedly included warehouse fires and factory closures. The violence carries the risk of disruptions to supply chains that stretch outside the city. While commoditie... Read more →

TSMC support comes as U.S. proves weak link in demand for Taiwanese chips

September 25, 2020

Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturers may receive additional support after President Tsai Ing-wen stated the state “will actively assist the industry in solving problems” facing firms including TSMC in the wake of the U.S.-China trade war. TSMC stopped taking orders from Huawei in May, though d... Read more →

Loblaw’s surge could continue as South Africa’s coronavirus reopening proceeds

May 5, 2020

South Africa is reopening its economy after the coronavirus pandemic, starting with agricultural exports. Food and agriculture accounted for 12.1% of South African exports in 2018. The largest export sectors were minerals and transportation, including autos, which represented 24.5% and 13.3% r... Read more →

2020 Outlook: Globalization Alive and Kicking – Global Trade Policy Trends

January 14, 2020

Global trade policy has faced upheaval at the hands of the U.S., but the rest of the world is still plodding on with the multi-year process of trade liberalization and dealmaking. There are eight regions to watch in 2020. The EU, aside from dealing with Brexit, is negotiating deals with China,... Read more →

Tariff Quote Watch: Under Armour, Lands End Drive Eclat Sourcing More Than Tariffs

July 16, 2019

Eclat Textiles’ Chairman, Hung Cheng-hai, has stated that geographic diversification in sourcing provides a “competitive advantage in the supply chain”. While the U.S.-China trade war provides a reason to diversify away from China in the case of suddenly applied tariffs, the firm has already t... Read more →

Boks’ Box Handling Heading Higher Again, Attracting New Liner Services

November 20, 2018

Container handling through Transnet’s ports in South Africa returned to growth in October, with an 11.3% rise on a year earlier vs. a 0.1% drop seen in the third quarter. Growth over the longer-term has been robust, with a 7.8% increase in the 12 months to Oct. 31 vs. just 0.9% for all cargo d... Read more →

Deeper Durban Brings South African Opportunity, Service Diversity Needed

September 12, 2018

Transnet will invest $464 million to deepen the South African port of Durban to allow the berthing of large container vessels in a program that will run through 2023. The investment follows a surge in containerized freight growth in South Africa to 8% in the 12 months to July 31 from 2% in the... Read more →

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