Wall Street Journal (September 16)
“Transportation costs—typically a fraction of a finished product’s price—are emerging as another supply-chain hurdle, overwhelming some companies already paying more for raw materials and labor…. The Covid-19 pandemic has driven a long-lasting surge in transportation costs, putting pressure on many businesses already confronting higher wages and raw-material prices. Some CEOs are saying they expect elevated freight costs stretching into 2023.”
Tags: COVID-19, Hurdle, Labor, Overwhelming, Pandemic, Pressure, Product price, Raw materials, Supply chain, Surge, Transportation, Wages
Institutional Investor (September 9)
“The pandemic has made Europe’s top executives smarter… and humbler. From supply-chain issues to unforeseen social and cultural hurdles, business leaders in Europe and around the world have learned hard and valuable lessons over the last two years.”
Tags: Business, Cultural, Europe, Humbler, Hurdles, Leaders, Pandemic, Smarter, Social, Supply chain, Unforeseen
Boston Globe (September 8)
“President Trump’s trade war with China isn’t just about how much the next pair of running shoes will cost American consumers…. Its impact is spreading like a virus to all segments of the US economy, affecting the manufacturing supply chain, with the potential to whack consumer confidence.”
Tags: China, Consumers, Economy, Manufacturing, Supply chain, Trade war, Trump, U.S., Virus
Harvard Business Review (January 29)
“In the eyes of businesses, the UK has come to resemble an emerging market” with concerns about “political volatility, consistent market uncertainty, an unpredictable and fluctuating currency, and supply chain issues”…. Regardless of where the current Brexit talks lead, these issues plaguing the UK are likely to remain for years.”
Tags: Concerns, Currency, Emerging market, Market uncertainty, Political volatility, Supply chain, UK, Unpredictable
Wall Street Journal (July 6)
On August 22, the SEC is expected to vote on conflict minerals. A new regulation could require companies to verify and report the origins of even trace amounts of tin, tungsten, tantalum or gold. Costs could be staggering. “To comply with the law, companies will have to disclose if any of the minerals that make up the metals in their products were mined in the Congo. That means every company must trace every product back through the supply chain, and then have the findings certified by an independent third party.”
Tags: Conflict minerals, Gold, SEC, Supply chain, Tantalum, The Congo, Tin, Tungsten
Financial Times (May 16)
“The March 11 earthquake and tsunami caused Y2,000bn ($25bn) in damage to plant and equipment at Japanese companies and left many too uncertain of their business prospects to issue forecasts for the current fiscal year.” While quake-dampened consumer demand remains a concern, “it is the problems on the supply side that have contributed most to the uncertainty.”
Tags: Consumer demand, Damage, Earthquake, Forecasts, Japan, Supply chain
New York Times (March 18)
Markets ranging from copper to treasuries and currencies to the S&P 500 are being driven by the events unfolding in Japan. The impact is now extending to overseas supply chains. “In a sign of the spreading global economic impact, General Motors on Thursday became the first U.S. auto maker to close a U.S. factory because of the crisis in Japan.” GM will halt production at a Louisiana pick-up truck plant due to shortages of components from Japan.
Markets ranging from copper to treasuries and currencies to the S&P 500 are being driven by the events unfolding in Japan. The impact is now extending to overseas supply chains. “In a sign of the spreading global economic impact, General Motors on Thursday became the first U.S. auto maker to close a U.S. factory because of the crisis in Japan.” GM will halt production at a Louisiana pick-up truck plant due to shortages of components from Japan.
Tags: Copper, GM, Japan, Markets, S&P 500, Supply chain, Treasuries
