A major industrial conglomerate has resorted to buying washing machines and tearing out the semiconductors inside for use in its own chip modules, according to the CEO of a company central to the chipmaking supply chain.

Grocery stores in some parts of the U.S. are expected to run out of certain perishable goods Easter weekend because of a Mexican truckers’ blockade that has stranded millions of dollars worth of fresh produce.

China’s lockdowns to contain the country’s worst Covid outbreak since early 2020 have battered the economy, stalling production in major cities like Shanghai and adding pressure to global inflation.

Europe’s push to wean itself off Russian natural gas is sparking billions of dollars in new commitments toward building a market for low-carbon hydrogen.

A Mexican truck blockade at a key Texas bridge is diverting U.S.-bound cargoes to far-flung crossings, worsening shipping snarls and raising the specter of delivery disruptions for everything from avocados to auto parts.

With the world economy already shackled by Covid-related shortages and now reeling from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prices of such basics as bread, meat and cooking oils have jumped across the world, sending shock waves through the commodity markets and damaging the global food system.

Despite supply chain pressures in Asia, it’s unlikely that American footwear brands will follow the example of New Balance and pursue U.S. manufacturing, says Matt Priest, CEO and president of Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA).

Cases are at a record in Shanghai, now the epicenter of China’s worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic, and the lockdown has been extended indefinitely.

Europe is taking a big gamble as it moves to ban Russian coal, potentially leaving itself vulnerable to shortages and rolling blackouts while the rest of the world contends with surging prices.