Trade

While reports this week point to the possibility of progress being made on the phase one trade deal between the United States and China in the ongoing tariff-centric trade war, that does not diminish the impact and increased costs that this situation has wrought to date. That sentiment was made clear in data issued this week by Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, a nationwide, bipartisan campaign focused on telling the stories of American families, businesses and workers who are hurt by...

It goes without saying that day-to-day cost pressures come with the territory in the procurement world. But that sentiment takes on a more heightened feel, when seeing those pressures from the perspectives of chief procurement officers (CPO), in light of myriad economic- and trade-related challenges, among other factors.

September shipments­, at 1,037,316, were off 1.7% annually, and on a year-to-date basis, shipments through September, at 9,252,633, are up 1.2% compared to the first nine months of 2018.

In a media conference call this week, Neil Bradley, U.S. Chamber of Commerce executive vice president and chief policy officer, said that time is of the essence for Congress to move forward and enact USCMA sooner than later.

August saw another intensification of the trade conflict between the United States and China. Then, in mid-September, the attack on Saudi Arabian oil production facilities resulted in an oil price spike. Both are bad news for the global supply chain managers coming at a time when the world’s economic growth is already slowing, says IHS Markit.

It’s probably a pyrrhic victory, but transport interests recently gained a small victory in President Donald Trump’s growing trade war with China. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative recently ruled that 53-foot domestic containers from China have been exempt from the punishing tariff war between the world’s two largest economies.

August shipments, at 1,095,208, eked out a 0.1% annual gain, and on a year-to-date basis, shipments through August, at 8,212,273, are up 1.5% compared to the same period a year ago.

While trade tensions with China have already disrupted many U.S. supply chains, analysts suggest that a recalibration of shipping and sourcing destinations is long overdue. Emerging markets might finally live up to their potential and keep globalization on track.

When the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) met in Washington, D.C. for its recently-concluded Spring Conference, it made clear its solid support for Congressional approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The theme regarding the economy a year ago at this time may very well have been “Happy days are hear again, given solid GDP growth, buoyed by high levels of consumer confidence, manufacturing output, and strong import volumes, among other factors. But move ahead to the present, and the theme could be something along the lines of “Where have all the good times gone?” The shift in economic themes, while jarring, to a degree, has been underway for a little...

Shippers who are current on the global trade landscape are assets to their service partners and clients. Our global trade expert provides us with a review of three key trade topics that should be top of mind as we enter 2019.

With this week’s release of A.T. Kearney’s Global Business Policy Council predictions for the coming year, one particular forecast is especially prescient, the trade war “truce” with China.

September shipments, at 1,050,900, were up 7.3% compared to September 2017, and on a year-to-date basis through September they are up 5.7% to 9,116,507.

Even though a ‘new NAFTA’ has been introduced, many specifics remain slim.

The good economic times may not last forever