Market watchers who bet on a post-pandemic commodities supercycle are looking like the smart money. Resurgent demand chasing short supply is driving prices to premium levels across global markets. Among the hottest sectors, metals saw prices take off from March lows...
Global Trade Data: Shift to ‘Stuff Economy’ Prolonging the Global Shipping Crisis
While it seems that COVID-19 is largely under control, the pandemic continues to affect supply chains in a profound way, according to latest global trade data from Descartes Datamyne. This includes new disruption of manufacturing and logistics operations with further...
U.S. Moves to Build Supply Chain Resiliency: How Importers Can Mitigate Disruption
The Biden Administration has announced plans to strengthen the resiliency of critical U.S. supply chains to protect American industries from shortages that were exacerbated by COVID-19, significantly impacting earnings prospects in several key U.S. industries. But...
USMCA – North American Trade Policy and Impact on Key Industries
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement The USMCA agreement came into effect on July 1st 2020, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which had been in place since 1994. The aim of the new accord was to modernize trade policy among the U.S., Mexico...
Global Trade Trend: Holiday Peak Season Import Volumes Set to Break Records
Global trade trends show that U.S. imports surged in the run-up to the holidays. But after nine months of pandemic shut-downs, following on a year of trade dampening tariffs, the fall’s record volumes are largely making up for the losses in the spring. 2020’s year-end...
Alcohol Imports – Ongoing Impact from COVID-19
U.S. Alcohol Imports – By Volume Heavily impacted by COVID-19 during the first half of 2020, imports of wine and spirits under chapter 22 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) continue to lag behind 2019. According to the latest available trade data from Descartes...
Automotive Sector Bracing for Long-Term Impact of COVID-19
Sophisticated and globally connected supply chains have made the movement of goods more efficient and accessible but, at the same time, susceptible to economic crisis and natural disasters such as the financial crisis in 2008 and the Asian Tsunami in 2011. While many...
Coronavirus Stress Tests Supply Chains and Slows Trade Flow
Companies in diverse sectors, including consumer electronics, automobiles and automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, and apparel are warning they are mere weeks away from running out of production-critical supplies as Chinese factories shut down and cross-border commerce...
USMCA Retools the North American Trade Bloc for the 2020s
Approved by Congress and signed by President Trump on January 29, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is one big step closer to entering into force. Mexico was first to ratify the trade pact on June 19, 2019. Canada’s House of Commons will be taking up the USMCA this...
U.S.-China Phase One Agreement Focuses on Relationship Reset
President Donald Trump and China’s Vice Premier Liu He have signed an initial agreement that commits China to policy changes on intellectual property (IP), technology transfer, financial services, and currency management. China also promises substantial purchases of...