H&M, Vans boycott Brazilian leather as fires burn in Amazon rainforest

Real estate speculators and ranchers suspected to be responsible for the deforestation have been tied to major importers of beef and leather.

By Andy Burt • Sept. 11, 2019

How one company toes supply-demand balance for rare earth minerals

China's near stranglehold on rare earths has driven the U.S. government to take a keen interest in MP Materials, as it ramps up capacity for end-to-end processing in house. 

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 8, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Supply Chain Dive

Here’s how companies are navigating evolving global trade and tariff policies, rising costs and operational uncertainty across supply chain networks.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

UPS converts 4 air hubs to foreign trade zones

Importing through foreign trade zones can yield significant savings, especially in the current climate of the ongoing U.S.-China trade war.

By Shefali Kapadia • Sept. 6, 2019

How Cimpress leveraged analytics to cut procurement costs by 11%

The Vistaprint parent company deployed a digital platform across its subsidiaries to centralize bulk contracts while giving brands room to manage specialized orders independently.

By Morgan Forde • Sept. 5, 2019

Esprit ceases work with Myanmar military-linked supplier

The decision follows a U.N. fact-finding mission report urging all foreign companies to scrutinize any business they conduct in the country to avoid ties to the military.

By Emma Cosgrove • Sept. 5, 2019

Target to suppliers: Keep tariffs to yourself

The U.S.-China trade war is starting to create stark contrast between which suppliers and retailers have the power to shift the burden away from their own balance sheets and which do not. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Sept. 5, 2019

Only 20% of companies are optimistic about their future in China, survey finds

Despite uncertainty, the US-China Business Council's member survey found 87% of companies do not plan to move operations out of China. 

By Morgan Forde • Sept. 3, 2019

What US companies should know about expanding manufacturing to Mexico

As the trade war with China continues, more companies are looking south of the border with new interest.

By Sergio Tagliapietra, CEO IVEMSA • Sept. 3, 2019

Discount stores largely mitigate tariffs but still test price hikes

Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Five Below tested multiple price increase strategies in the second quarter as new tariffs are likely to hit consumer-facing product categories in the back half of the year. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 30, 2019

How to navigate procurement in a post-merger world

Industry experts argue that an ideal scenario has the procurement department come in before finalizing a deal, so it can analyze potential savings and hiccups down the road.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Aug. 29, 2019

Hospitals ration treatment due to supply shortages of immune globulin drug

The reintroduction of an intravenous immune globulin product to the U.S. market could help ease a supply crunch.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Aug. 29, 2019

Williams-Sonoma pulling forward 'as much inventory as possible' ahead of list 4 tariffs

The retailer on Wednesday raised its full-year net revenue forecast for the second time this year, even after factoring in the tariff increases the Trump administration announced last week.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 29, 2019

China to add tariffs on $75B of US imports

One batch of duties will begin Sept. 1 and the other Dec. 15, mirroring the U.S. schedule and putting American agricultural exporters in a tough situation. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Aug. 23, 2019

Swine disease adds uncertainty, volatility to meat supply chains, execs say

African swine fever has wiped out 5% of global animal protein supply, creating drastic price fluctuations in a market already rocked by the U.S.-China trade war. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 23, 2019

A multicultural supply chain demands social awareness and respect

A training designed to prevent cultural gaffes at my company improved my negotiating process, as I learned to focus on supplier performance and the job at hand, not on cultural nuances and differences.

By Rich Weissman • Aug. 22, 2019

US and Mexico agree to tomato truce

An anti-dumping investigation resumed in May when the U.S. Department of Commerce formally terminated a 2013 agreement with Mexico, triggering a 17.5% tariff on Mexican fresh and chilled tomatoes. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 22, 2019

Kohl's 12-quarter inventory reduction streak ends

As new tariffs encourage inventory pull-forward and fulfillment commitments for e-commerce orders speed up, retailers have had to rethink where to store inventory and what healthy stock levels look like. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 21, 2019

3D printing can reduce lead times and inventory, but it's not for everything

More than 40% of 1,300 3D printing users cited lower lead times as a benefit of 3D printing in a recent survey.

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 19, 2019

Asos intervenes when supplier cuts off wages, water, food to workers

Working with a local labor union and the Mauritian government, Asos facilitated wage payouts after the factory stopped paying workers months before liquidation.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 19, 2019

AAFA: 77% of apparel, footwear imports to face tariffs Sept. 1

Although tariffs on some clothing and footwear are delayed until Dec. 15, the majority will still face duties at the beginning of next month. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Aug. 16, 2019

Kraft Heinz's comeback begins after months of procurement scandal

A bonus structure that rewarded cost-cutting above all else and insufficient review of supplier contracts led to years of procurement misconduct. A new CEO is charged with the turnaround. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 15, 2019

VA, Defense Logistics Agency agree to centralize medical procurement for cost savings

Previous efforts in contract negotiations resulted in $1 billion in savings on prescription drug purchases. 

By Morgan Forde • Aug. 15, 2019

Will Walmart raise prices to mitigate tariffs?

The CFO warned in May tariffs would lead to price hikes, but analysts say Walmart has enough volume in its supply chain to keep consumers insulated from tariffs.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 15, 2019

Advance Auto Parts mitigates tariff impact through supplier collaboration, price hikes

The auto parts retailer's CFO highlighted how, even though gross profit margin declined in Q2, advanced preparation and reliance of in-house inventory will help it weather the storm. 

By Andy Burt • Aug. 14, 2019

USTR: 10% tariffs on 'certain' clothing, electronics from China delayed to Dec. 15

Chinese imports not included on USTR's forthcoming list will still face 10% duties on Sept. 1, as President Donald Trump announced earlier this month. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Updated Aug. 13, 2019