Risk/Resilience

Maersk secures $5B in credit tied to emissions progress

The carrier aims to cut carbon emissions by 60% per cargo moved by 2030. ​

By S.L. Fuller • Feb. 27, 2020

Gartner: Circular supply chain investments must focus on reverse logistics

Seventy percent of supply chain leaders plan to invest in new technologies, from manufacturing to delivery, to achieve circularity by mid-2021.

By Morgan Forde • Feb. 27, 2020

China manufacturing hubs face greatest risk from sea-level rise: report

The Pearl River Delta is home to large automotive, petrochemical and electronics manufacturing operations and the region single-handedly generates 3.8% of global wealth.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 26, 2020

Revenue concerns spread outside China with coronavirus cases

The difficulty in predicting the spread of the disease makes it especially challenging for companies to make plans and seek alternative suppliers.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 26, 2020

From legacy systems to connected tech, manufacturers face cyber risks

The potential for damage in an operations environment can dramatically affect revenue, if not shut businesses down completely.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Feb. 25, 2020

Toyota restarts manufacturing at 4 Chinese facilities shuttered by coronavirus

Operations in China are expected to get back to normal next month, but supply chain impacts are difficult to forecast as coronavirus spreads into Iran and Italy.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 25, 2020

Arrests begin as Canadian freight players call for resolution to pipeline protest

Canadian National CEO JJ Ruest said factories in Canada that rely heavily on rail are starting to feel the pain and expects it will take several weeks to return to normal operations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Feb. 24, 2020

Rainforest Alliance strengthens its cocoa certification program

The group said the changes will address challenges within the sector, including farmer livelihoods, child labor and deforestation.

By Cathy Siegner • Feb. 24, 2020

Are US railroads ready for post-coronavirus volume spikes?

Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz said shippers need to take some responsibility for the flow of freight if they want speedy service after effects of the COVID-19 outbreak fade and China imports regain full strength. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Feb. 21, 2020

Coronavirus: A lesson in supply chain risk management

A quarantine put supply chains' risk management strategies to the test as it left manufacturing facilities without workers needed to reach full production, reduced demand for ocean freight and cut air freight capacity. 

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 20, 2020

Coronavirus could reduce electronics and automobiles output by millions of units, research finds

While automotive or computer manufacturers are more likely to have risk management teams in place to pre-identify points of failure in a supply chain, they are still expected to take a hit.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 20, 2020

Carriers report reefer, truck shortages in China's stalled supply chains

One logistics company recommended booking trucking services two days in advance as a result of the driver shortage.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 19, 2020

Coronavirus-related component delays will hold up production for Trimble within weeks

Trimble keeps about two weeks of inventory on hand. A three-week freight delay out of China or continued factory slowdowns would affect sales in the near term.

By Emma Cosgrove • Feb. 18, 2020

Opinion

A break from trade uncertainty is a good time to future-proof your supply chain

Beijing and Washington have agreed to play nice for a while and the USMCA is almost complete, but firms shouldn’t sit back and relax, writes Lou Longo, an international consulting practice leader at Plante Moran.

By Lou Longo • Feb. 18, 2020

FDA tracking mask, protective gear supply chain disruptions from coronavirus outbreak

Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the shift in ordering patterns is yet to manifest in a shortage but warned Feb. 14 the situation is "evolving and very dynamic."

By Nick Paul Taylor • Feb. 18, 2020

Gucci shuffles inventory to minimize coronavirus impact

It's not the only retailer figuring out what the coronavirus outbreak will mean for its China-based retail operation as companies choose to close storefronts as a precaution.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 14, 2020

A regional approach helps supply chains weather trade disruption: BCG

Supply chain managers might consider a regional approach that places manufacturing capabilities closer to customers to manage the current level of global trade disruption.

By Morgan Forde • Feb. 13, 2020

Searches for suppliers outside China double as coronavirus spreads

Dun & Bradstreet said 92% of the companies with tier one suppliers in the impacted region are based in the U.S.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 13, 2020

Nestlé beverage delivery arm reaches carbon neutrality

A combination of fleet conversion, route optimization, replacement of truck trips with rail, redesigned racks, renewable energy and carbon offset projects helped ReadyRefresh achieve neutrality.

By Shefali Kapadia • Feb. 12, 2020

NRF: Coronavirus could cause 13% import drop at US ports

Before the outbreak, the National Retail Federation predicted February imports would be 1.54 million TEUs. The forecast has slid to 1.41 million.

By Morgan Forde • Feb. 11, 2020

Opinion

Supply chain managers can leverage Lunar New Year experience in coronavirus disruption

This is a time when agility in the supply chain, specifically having multiple suppliers in varying geographies, will be extraordinarily valuable, writes Nate Evans, co-founder and CXO at Fictiv.

By Nate Evans • Feb. 10, 2020

87% of US businesses in China expect coronavirus to impact revenue

Companies ranging from Apple suppliers to Nissan have announced plans to temporarily pause production as a result of the virus outbreak.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 10, 2020

China to slash tariffs by 50% on $75B of US imports

The trade war is far from over as tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods remain and supply chains stay on high alert.

By Shefali Kapadia • Feb. 07, 2020

JD Logistics deploys autonomous shuttles, drones for last-mile deliveries in coronavirus quarantine zones

The technologies minimize human contact, and JD Logistics has provided its employees in the area with masks, body suits and other emergency safety gear.

By Morgan Forde • Feb. 07, 2020

Trucking companies blame slow manufacturing for rough 2019 volumes

Landstar expects the weak trucking environment to continue in the coming months and said "it is difficult to predict the economic environment in the back half of 2020."

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 06, 2020