Caterpillar lays off 120 amid economic uncertainty, trade war

On a recent earnings call, the OEM's executives said they are adjusting production to meet reduced demand resulting from economic uncertainty and trade tensions. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 5, 2019

Tyson will assess its deforestation risks

Sustainability-focused nonprofit Proforest will help the company look at its cattle, palm oil, soy, timber, pulp and paper sourcing to develop a forest protection policy.

By Cathy Siegner • Nov. 4, 2019

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Risk Management

Risk takes many forms in the supply chain: severe weather, geopolitical uncertainty and labor tensions. Explore the tactics supply chain managers use to prepare for disruptions.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Major chocolate brands fail to address child labor, sustainability in their supply chains: report

Green America's Chocolate Scorecard gave Mondelez, Ferrero and Godiva two D's and an F, respectively, for the quality of their measures to ensure human rights, fair wages, sustainability and transparency in their supply chains.

By Morgan Forde • Oct. 31, 2019

Maersk, H&M, Levi team up to explore 'LEO' fuel for ocean shipping

Maersk expects to test LEO fuel, a blend of ethanol and plant polymer lignin, on vessels in the second quarter of 2020. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Oct. 31, 2019

Are food and beverage supply chains prepared for growing water risk?

Sustainability nonprofit Ceres found 77% of 35 publicly traded food and beverage companies now name water availability as a risk to their operations in financial filings — up from 59% two years ago.

By Cathy Siegner • Oct. 30, 2019

Beyond Meat to triple pea protein sourcing in 2020 to avoid past bottlenecks

CEO Ethan Brown said the company has "dramatically" increased its protein supply and diversified it's supplier base to keep up with exploding demand. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 29, 2019

As Nike pledges no to Arctic shipping, Gap, H&M and more sign on

Nike said the decision dovetailed with its Move to Zero sustainability initiative, through which it hopes to achieve zero-waste and zero-carbon operations. 

By Morgan Forde • Oct. 28, 2019

FedEx: 82% of small businesses believe trade is key to economic growth

More than one-third of small business respondents in a study said fees and tariffs impacted them "a great deal."

By Morgan Forde • Oct. 25, 2019

China tariffs cut margins for 70% of US electronics manufacturers

The U.S.-China trade war has impacted overall industry sentiment to the extent that one in five firms in IPC's study reported reduced investment in the U.S. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Oct. 24, 2019

Harley-Davidson raises expected tariff burden to $105M

Executives said the increase, up from $100 million, is a result of "very fluid" rates on the Section 301 tariffs.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 23, 2019

Wholesalers concur: Retailers are not open to sharing the tariff burden

"Nobody wants to accept a price increase from the person below them in a supply chain," AAFA EVP Steve Lamar said at the Sourcing Journal Summit in New York City.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 22, 2019

Amazon pushes back on worker injury report

The NYCOSH report found 80% of workers had been pushed to work harder, 66% had experienced physical pain on the job, and 18% "indicated they were injured as a result of their work."

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 22, 2019

EU accepts UK Brexit extension until Jan. 31, 2020

Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his belief that the U.K. would fare fine in a no-deal Brexit scenario, though the international business community has expressed concern about supply shortages and slowdowns at ports.

By Morgan Forde • Updated Oct. 28, 2019

An uncertain economy muddies the waters for IMO 2020 planning

The unknowns then remain the unknowns today: Will there be sufficient low-sulfur bunker produced to meet demand, and/or will the price of existing high-sulfur bunker drop sufficiently to make installing expensive scrubbers cost-effective?

By Patrik Berglund, CEO and Co-founder at Xeneta • Oct. 21, 2019

MSC will not use the Northern Sea Route, citing environmental impact

While the route is shorter than existing Europe-Asia lanes, many carriers argue using the route is not worth the risk of damaging vulnerable Arctic ecosystems.

By Morgan Forde • Oct. 18, 2019

McKinsey: Sustainable supply chains are 5 years away

While the impetus for change is largely consumer-driven, the burden of the transition will fall squarely on CPOs who know sustainability is a necessity, not a luxury. 

By Deborah Barrington • Oct. 17, 2019

Former Amazon last-mile provider to lay off 900

This last mile shake-up and about 700 other layoffs at Atlanta-based Inpax follow a Buzzfeed and ProPublica investigation that found drivers were involved in fatal crashes while delivering Amazon packages. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 14, 2019

Suppliers lay off thousands as GM strike cascades through supply chain

When the strike ends, General Motors will have to figure out dealerships' inventory needs and pass them along to suppliers.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 14, 2019

Carlsberg debuts sustainable paper bottle prototype

The paper beer bottle prototypes are part of the Danish brewer's commitments to reduce plastic packaging waste and cut its carbon footprint. 

By Jessi Devenyns • Oct. 14, 2019

Fitbit to move 'effectively all' production out of China

CFO Ron Kisling said the company has been working on finding alternatives to China since 2018 in response to the U.S.-China trade war and tariffs. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 11, 2019

Convoy: Bundling freight cuts carbon emissions 45%

The digital freight broker said its Automated Reloads program reduces empty miles by booking multiple loads at once, thereby reducing truck emissions.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 10, 2019

Seafood consumers 'overwhelming concerned' about sourcing and sustainability

An online survey from Blue Circle Foods indicates that consumers want more transparency and traceability for the food they consume. 

By Cathy Siegner • Oct. 10, 2019

The US is staying in the UPU, but global postal rate changes are coming

Though an international postal crisis has been averted, upcoming deadlines will require shippers' attention.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 9, 2019

BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific face lawsuits from dozens of shippers. Here's why.

After shippers' attempt to form a class were denied many of them filed their own suits, resulting in a flurry of legal action hitting carriers last week.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 8, 2019

John Deere lays off 220 workers citing reduced demand

The OEM has forecasted production capacity reductions for two quarters as the U.S.-China trade war has dampened farmer sentiment and appetite for new equipment investments. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Updated Dec. 10, 2019