The invasion of Ukraine has added to agita among electric-vehicle makers over the supply of nickel, a critical ingredient in EV batteries, since Russia is one of the world’s biggest producers.

Slammed by the long-running chip shortage and surging materials prices, global automakers are now facing a new threat — lockdowns in some of China’s biggest cities.

U.S. importers, straining under a tapped-out supply chain, are increasingly offering top dollar for long-term shipping contracts that may not even be honored as they try whatever it takes to guarantee the arrival of their products.

Global supply strains that started to ease in early 2022 are worsening again as headwinds strengthen from the war in Ukraine and China’s Covid lockdowns, threatening slower growth and faster inflation across the global economy.

Ocean cargo handlers are scrambling for solutions to the congestion that continues to plague major U.S. container ports, especially Los Angeles and Long Beach. But the ultimate answer might lie in something beyond their control: time.

Factories from Australia to Europe are seeing already surging costs jump further as Russia’s war in Ukraine and the barrage of sanctions rolled out in response roil commodity markets and trade.

The last global shock drove businesses everywhere to rethink supply chain risk and resilience, but many have yet to take action. This time, it may be different.

Today’s organizations need to take action to fortify their supply chains. But how to do it is still up for debate.

The $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal doubled its capacity in 2016, allowing the world’s largest cargo ships to sail more easily to America’s East Coast from Asia. Now, one of those giant vessels has been stuck near the U.S. capital for more than a week.