Supply Chains in Crisis

A haulage truck transports a shipping container.

Biden Races Clock But Holds Few Tools in Supply Chain Crisis

October 22, 2021

While Republicans point to the supply chain as further evidence the president is mismanaging the economy, the issues are deep-rooted.

Long Beach Port Chief: ‘Shop Early’ as Snarls to Last All Year

October 21, 2021

Bloomberg

Americans should buy their holiday gifts early this year, as the container glut plaguing ports and the supply chain will persist through at least year-end, the head of California’s Port of Long Beach said.

California Governor Eyes Expansion, Automation to Ease Port Congestion

October 20, 2021

Bloomberg

An executive order signed Wednesday asks state agencies to identify “priority freight routes,” and find sites that can be used for short-term storage of container cargo.

‘People Are Hoarding’: Food Shortages Are The Next Supply Chain Crunch

October 20, 2021

Bloomberg

There’s plenty of food. There just isn’t enough processing and transportation capacity to meet rising demand as the economy revs up.

EDITOR'S Q&A

Slow-Paying Buyers Are Threatening the Stability of Struggling Suppliers

October 20, 2021

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

In the midst of a growing supply chain crisis, suppliers are increasingly being forced to accept longer payment terms from buyers. Both sides are desperate to protect their cash, but the trend threatens to undermine the stability of suppliers, and can only serve to exacerbate the situation.

Music, Barbecues, Wi-Fi: Managing Morale for Those Idled at Sea

October 19, 2021

Bloomberg

With many of the world’s 400,000 merchant mariners still struggling to take time off and go home, seafarer fatigue remains a problem heading into the second holiday season of the pandemic.

Supply-Crunch Inflation Gives Central Banks an Unfixable Problem

October 19, 2021

Bloomberg

The global economy’s supply crunch is propelling inflation at such a fast pace that central bankers may be forced to respond, even though fixing that imbalance is beyond their power.

Global Port Gridlock Threatens Economies Everywhere

October 18, 2021

Bloomberg

Global ports are growing more gridlocked as the pandemic era’s supply shocks intensify, threatening to spoil the holiday shopping season, erode corporate profits and drive up consumer prices.

Just-in-Time Economy Becoming a Problem for Europe, Lagarde Says

October 17, 2021

Bloomberg

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned that the globalized nature of the euro area’s economy makes it highly vulnerable to systemic shocks from supply chain disruptions.

Port-Crisis Plan Seeks Inland U.S. Terminals, More Truckers

October 15, 2021

Bloomberg

Commitments from shippers and cargo owners to move toward around-the-clock unloading at the docks in Los Angeles are a first step to addressing a national supply chain backlog.