The hit from China’s energy crunch is starting to ripple throughout the globe, hurting everyone from Toyota Motor Corp. to Australian sheep farmers and makers of cardboard boxes.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he won’t fall back on immigration to solve the U.K.’s truck driver shortage, as he presented supply chain troubles that have left supermarket shelves bare and gas stations dry as a “period of adjustment” in the wake of Brexit and the pandemic.
The U.S. and the European Union agreed to work together to shape the rules and standards around crucial technologies and coordinate their approaches to key trade issues at an inaugural meeting of a new cooperation body.
From high-class problems to difficulties finding life’s necessities, the pandemic has convulsed global supply chains on such a scale that few industries, socio-economic classes or regions are immune.
China’s energy crisis is shaping up as the latest shock to global supply chains as factories in the world’s biggest exporter are forced to conserve energy by curbing production.
The U.K. wants to issue visas for truckers to ease a shortage that’s led to gasoline stations running dry and hit food supply chains. The hard part could be persuading drivers from eastern Europe, the biggest pool of labor in recent years, to come back.
Trade-reliant Thailand plans to launch a national shipping company next year to bolster its trade capabilities, reduce transport costs and become a bigger player in global logistics as the Malacca bypass opens.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that came into effect in January has opened growth opportunities for both African and non-African companies, but implementation remains challenging.