There’s a lot of money and attention going toward blockchain as a potential foundation for supply chains.

China said it doesn’t fear a trade war with the U.S. and announced plans for reciprocal tariffs on $3bn of imports from the U.S. in the first response to President Donald Trump’s ordering of levies on Chinese metal exports.

Foremost in the minds of every supply-chain planner are those key words: What if?

Coca-Cola Co. and the U.S. State Department along with two other companies said last week they are launching a project using blockchain’s digital ledger technology to create a secure registry for workers that will help fight the use of forced labor worldwide.

General Mills Inc. suffered the worst plunge since mid-2015 after shipping costs and other expenses squeezed profit margins to their thinnest point in years.

The ability to reduce risk for companies that use 3PLs can be narrowed down to the type of relationship that exists between the two parties. Typically, companies opt for a "vendorship," in which they simply purchase a service at an optimal price. Ideally, they should have a partnership with their 3PL providing them a seat at the table where the company's strategy is developed. -Daniel Sears, Senior Consultant, Tompkins International