Washington Post (May 14)
Plastic production is estimated to create roughly 5% “of all greenhouse gas emissions… more than all shipping or the entire airline industry.” But that estimate only “accounts for gases released when companies drill for oil and gas, transport it to refineries, turn it into plastic and mold it into products.” It ignores factors such as “how microplastics in the ocean and soil disrupt the natural cycles that pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and cool the planet.” Though “scientists have long known that making plastic warms the planet,” plastic may ultimately “be heating the Earth even more than we realized.”
Tags: 5%, Airline industry, Atmosphere, CO2, Disrupt, Drill, Gas, GHG emissions, Microplastics, Mold, Natural cycles, Ocean, Oil, Plastic, Production, Products, Refineries, Scientists, Shipping, Soil, Transport
Star Tribune (November 5)
“Transoceanic shipping is no longer backed up. But labor shortages at airlines and trucking firms continue to influence U.S. supply chains.” An October survey found that central state supply mangers believed “the speed of deliveries is back to pre-pandemic levels. But about one-third of them also said their biggest challenge for the fourth quarter was supply-chain disruptions,” albeit markedly down “from nearly 60% two months earlier.”
Tags: Airlines, Challenge, Deliveries, Labor shortages, Pandemic, Shipping, Speed, Supply chains, Transoceanic, Trucking firms, U.S.
Investment Week (October 12)
Aside from shipping difficulties and “maritime headwinds” hitting China, “the property crisis, fuelled by debt defaults from property developers, has dented the likelihood of Chinese GDP hitting growth targets as local authority revenue takes a hit from land sale income decline. Sentiment has followed suit and many wonder when and where respite will arise.”
Tags: China, Debt defaults, Decline, GDP, Growth targets, Headwinds, Income, Land sale, Maritime, Property crisis, Property developers, Revenue, Sentiment, Shipping
Star Tribune (February 21)
Hit by higher costs for barley, a can shortage and soaring shipping costs, “even the world’s largest beer manufacturers are passing on their higher costs to consumers.” Up to now, “consumers have taken it in stride. Just as higher grocery bills are offset by dining out less, a bigger tab at liquor stores is being absorbed by a lack of travel and entertainment expenses.” Even so, there are worries we may be reaching a turning point where consumption will fall.
Tags: Barley, Beer, Can, Consumers, Dining out, Entertainment, Groceries, Higher costs, Manufacturers, Shipping, Shortage, Soaring, Travel, Turning-point
Washington Post (October 2)
“The commercial pipeline that each year brings $1 trillion worth of toys, clothing, electronics and furniture from Asia to the United States is clogged and no one knows how to unclog it.” The median cost of container shipping *from China to the West Coast of the United States hit a record $20,586, almost twice what it cost in July, which was twice what it cost in January.” Supply chain problems are now “expected to last through 2022.”
Tags: 2022, Asia, China, Clogged, Clothing, Commercial, Container, Cost, Electronics, Furniture, Pipeline, Record, Shipping, Supply chain, Toys, U.S., West Coast
Wall Street Journal (September 26)
“The American supply chain has so far failed to adapt to the crush of imports as businesses rush to restock pandemic-depleted inventories.” At the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, two major shipping gateways, *more than 60 ships are lined up to dock, with waiting times stretching to three weeks.” The obvious fix, switching to 24/7 operations, remains problematic due to a shortage of trucks, storage and workers.
Tags: 24/7, Businesses, Depleted, Failed, Imports, Inventories, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pandemic, Ports, Problematic, Restock, Rush, Shipping, Shortage, Storage, Supply chain, Trucks, Waiting
Bloomberg (March 26)
“After the year we’ve all had, we needed a global crisis as hilarious as a container ship the size of the Empire State Building getting stuck sideways in the Suez Canal, bringing global shipping to a screeching (splashing? doggy paddling?) halt.”
Tags: Container ship, Empire State Building, Global crisis, Halts, Hilarious, Shipping, Stuck, Suez Canal
Wall Street Journal (March 20)
“Global investors, who have enjoyed an excellent start to 2019, received some unsettling news from FedEx Corp.” The “weak results from the shipping giant bode poorly for the global economy, and investors don’t seem ready for a slowdown.”
Tags: FedEx, Global, Investors, Shipping, Slowdown, Unsettling news, Weak results
LA Times (November 5)
Though the “Trump administration slapped tough U.S. sanctions on Iran’s energy, banking and shipping industries,” there are “gaping holes” as the White House “granted waivers to the six largest importers of Iranian oil.” China, India, South Korea, Turkey, Italy and Japan accounted for “more than 75% of Iran’s oil exports last year.”
Tags: Banking, China, Energy, Exports, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Oil, Sanctions, Shipping, South Korea, Trump, Turkey, U.S., Waivers
Inc (September Issue)
SwanLeap has become “the fastest-growing private company in America.” Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the company “uses an artificial intelligence platform and custom software to help huge manufacturers, retailers, and other clients save money on shipping, and better manage their supply chains.” In 2013, SwanLeap’s first year revenues totaled $110,000. In 2017, the firm took in “just shy of $100 million, good for a nosebleed-inducing three-year growth rate of 75,660.8 percent.” In 2018, it’s aiming for $500 million.
Tags: AI, Fastest-growing, Growth rate, Manufacturers, Retailers, SCM, Shipping, SwanLeap, U.S., Wisconsin
