Global Trade & Economics

How Fed Policy Impacts Manufacturer Profits and Supply-Chain Costs

January 31, 2021

A perfect storm of currency debasement, higher taxes, and declining purchasing power is driving manufacturers to focus on overall spend, cost-cutting, and the need to optimize cash conversion.

Freight Firms Reject 1-in-5 Cargos Shipped From France to U.K.

January 29, 2021

Bloomberg

Freight companies are rejecting one in five contracts to take goods from France to the U.K. as border rules put in place after Brexit added to delays in moving goods across the English Channel.

VIDEO

Watch: President Biden’s Trade Priorities for 2021

January 27, 2021

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Clifford Sosnow, co-chair of the Trade and Investment Group of the Fasken law firm, reviews the pressing international trade issues that will confront President Biden in the early months of his administration.

The World Is Dangerously Dependent on Taiwan for Semiconductors

January 26, 2021

Bloomberg

As China pushes the world to avoid official dealings with Taiwan, leaders across the globe are realizing just how dependent they’ve become on the island democracy.

Escalating AstraZeneca Spat Highlights EU Vaccine Fiasco

January 26, 2021

Bloomberg

The EU’s standoff with AstraZeneca over delayed vaccine deliveries has widened, with Germany taking aim at the U.S.

Shipping Container Crunch Shows Signs of Easing

January 26, 2021

Bloomberg

A global shortage of shipping containers that’s sent ocean freight rates skyrocketing shows signs of easing.

Shippers Saw a Need for Bigger Vessels, But They Built Them Too Big

January 24, 2021

Bloomberg

Here's why the cost of shipping goods out of China is soaring right now.

China’s Disputed Virus Theory Has Shoppers Shunning Foreign Food

January 22, 2021

Bloomberg

The World Health Organization has said there’s no evidence of people catching the coronavirus via food and food packaging, while China has taken increasingly drastic steps to test and halt imports.

VIDEO

Watch: Will We See Progress in Infrastructure Funding in 2021?

January 21, 2021

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

James H. Burnley IV, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and now a partner in the law firm of Venable LLP, weighs the chances for progress — at long last — on funding and construction of critical infrastructure projects under the new Biden Administration.

Brexit Border Trouble Grows as Key Customs System Maxes Out

January 20, 2021

Bloomberg

A key U.K. government customs system has been overwhelmed within weeks of Brexit and threatens to trigger more disruption as freight traffic rebounds.