Tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold, also known as 3TG, are essential for manufacturing in a number industries, including electronics, jewelry, industrial manufacturing, automotive and aerospace.

Mergers and acquisition in the 3PL industry are on the upswing, with deals in the first two quarters of this year outpacing all of last year, says Ronald Lentz of G2 Capital Advisors. Lentz looks at factors driving this trend and other issues impacting the industry's financial health.

Contract terms being demanded by shippers and consignees in their agreements with logistics providers have become unacceptably onerous and one-sided, says Philip M. Coughlin of Expeditors International. Coughlin details common requirements, such as shifting all risk to providers, which he considers unfair, as well as discussing ideas on how to move forward.

With so many channels to juggle, merchandisers today are finding it difficult to manage multiple pockets of inventory, and satisfy customers regardless of how they order product. Burton White, vice president of industry supply chains with Chainalytics, shares some tips on how this goal can be met.

CEVA Logistics has opened a global distribution center in Born, the Netherlands for industrial spare parts.

The term "digital supply chain" describes the integration of advanced technology, big data, and analytics to better manage and execute the physical supply chain, says Frederick Hartung of Jabil. He explains how this is playing out today and what it means for the future.