One could say that transportation faces multiple hurdles in the coming year, in the guise of new regulations and legislation that promise to have a serious impact on all modes. Me? I prefer to think of it as a minefield.

Analyst Insight: Supply chain has often been an afterthought for pharmaceutical manufacturers. The patent cliff, increasing reliance on generics, and price pressure from payers all create considerable margin pressures on pharma companies as well. This forces them to pay closer attention to operational efficiencies, including the supply chain. However, less noticed is the impact that evidence-based medicine and outcome-driven payment strategies have, compelling pharmaceutical manufacturers to more closely manage their entire end-to-end chain, especially on the downstream side. - Bill McBeath, Chief Research Officer, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: The pharmaceutical and bio-tech industry, as well as the medical device and medical product industries, are at a crossroads. This crossroads consists of industry identity and business channel markets determination - each of which will drive every company's future in the domestic and international marketplace as a single sector leader or multimarket healthcare provider for the coming decade. - Brian Hudock, Partner, Tompkins International

Brazil's government has yanked down interest rates to record lows and kept the value of the real, the country's currency, in check. The government has even doled out tax cuts in attempts to boost growth. But so far, there's not much evidence those strategies are working "” and key economic data released recently probably won't change things.

Counterfeit products are becoming ever more prominent across a number of industry sectors. This is especially the case where, for the criminals involved, the returns are great. High-volume industries, such as tobacco and manufacturing components, and high unit-price industries, such as perfume and cosmetics, are widely targeted by counterfeiters. According to statistics published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, handbags and wallets accounted for 40 percent of all seizures during the fiscal year for 2012.

Analyst Insight: With the trend toward multichannel and omnichannel supply chains, pressure is mounting for inventories that were intended for one type of demand to be called on to serve another. This conflict can lead to underserving the demand for which the inventory was planned and raise issues between organizational entities that lean toward protectionism, undermining competitiveness. Solving this issue requires effective decision-making processes that occur in real time based on corporate objectives. - Ralph Cox, Senior Principal, Tompkins International

China has a new status its government doesn't want - world's biggest trader. Trade data from both governments indicate China passed the United States last year in total imports and exports by a margin of $3.86tr to $3.8tr. That is about $44bn, or just over one percent of China's total.

A recovering housing market, record level U.S. exports and improved unemployment numbers are all key factors pointing to a slow but steady economic recovery in the United States. But while companies are celebrating their profits and looking at improved sales in the months and years ahead, far greater concerns loom on the horizon for shippers as the ever talked about driver shortage becomes a reality.