The term “forensic science” conjures up images of police dramas and crime investigations. But it turns out to have a strong connection to global supply chains, too.

Higher labor costs in China and political pressures were supposed to drive U.S. manufacturers to bring production home. We’re still waiting for that to happen.

It’s no surprise to anyone that these are uncertain times for global trade. Countries are levying new tariffs on commodities like aluminum, steel, clothing and more. Manufacturers, retailers and distributors are starting to feel the crunch of rising commodity and product costs and they’re concerned that these new tariff “wars” will upset and in some cases destroy the trading ecosystems that have flourished under a decades-old free-trade business environment.