Supply Chain Research

Supply China Edge: Tech restrictions widen, Adidas kicks inventory, rate boom returns

May 2, 2024

• In new research this week, we dive into Japan’s latest technology restrictions, which follow a surge in exports to mainland China and carry the risk of retaliation. Elsewhere in tech, telecom network equipment supply chains show signs of bifurcating. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Lt... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Apple’s season, cooling aircon, tin canned

August 10, 2023

• Supply chain data shows that the US consumer goods industry is still in decline, shown by shipping volumes that fell for the 12th straight month in July. The slide has been led by a downturn in toys and leisure goods, while the electrical goods shipments linked to infrastructure investments ... Read more →

Q3’21 Outlook: The fallout from underinvestment in logistics

July 5, 2021

The outlook for the logistics sector in the rest of 2021 will be defined by the reduced rate of investment of the past three years. Many ports are still operating at close to peak-season levels, reducing their ability to debottleneck before the forthcoming peak in early Q4’21. U.S. seaborne im... Read more →

FedEx expects customers to pay for labor constraints as volume growth continues

June 28, 2021

Logistics provider FedEx reported FQ4’21 (to May 31) revenues which climbed by 30.0% year over year. The comparator period includes the depths of the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Adjusting for that, the total weight of shipments handled by its Freight division declined by 4.0% in FQ4’21... Read more →

DP-DHL, Amazon gain from forwarder boom as demand, congestion trends continue

May 17, 2021

The freight forwarding sector continues to face a variety of challenges in what is normally the off-peak shipping season. U.S. seaborne imports surged 26.1% higher year over year and by 19.8% compared to the same period of 2019 in April. While the demand for shipping services is up, employment... Read more →

ZIM, Matson’s shipments to LA surge as pandemic takes toll on staff

January 25, 2021

Disruptions at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are being exacerbated by staff absences linked to COVID-19 with the result that the ports “got more cargo than we do skilled labor” according to LA’s Port Executive Director Gene Seroka. The port employers’ group believes that the ports ca... Read more →

Logistics jobs back to pre-pandemic levels, ports still under pressure

December 7, 2020

U.S. logistics employment improved by 2.8% in November versus October, bringing the level back to pre-pandemic levels on stronger warehousing and courier payrolls. While the waterborne segment improved sequentially it was still 12.9% lower than a year earlier despite surging demand for seaborn... Read more →

Logistics jobs still be pre-pandemic level, congestion risks rising

October 5, 2020

Employment in the U.S. logistics industry improved in September with a net 51,700 positions added compared to August. Only 60.8% of jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic industrial lockdown have been recovered, though that ratio that was slightly better than the economy at large. Employment i... Read more →

Fonterra, O&K face doubled trucking rates as logistics jobs lag demand

September 7, 2020

U.S. logistics employment is recovering after the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic with 174,000 jobs added in August versus May. That only represents a partial recovery of the 379,000 jobs lost in the prior three months. Employment in the trucking, waterborne and rail sectors are particularly ... Read more →

FedEx invests in robots, provides new source of growth for Yaskawa

July 21, 2020

FedEx is installing robotic parcel sorting systems made by Yaskawa. That’s part of a wider push in the logistics industry toward increased technological investments. So far investments have been dominated by software and platform investments to tackle insurgent competitors such as Flexport. Th... Read more →

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