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...
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...
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...
Trade Policy Shifts Flatten U.S. Import Peak Shipping
U.S. tariffs on imports from China consigned the traditional peak shipping season to the ghosts of Christmases past this year. The U.S.-China trade war pushed the U.S. import shipping volume trend line for 2019 to an early peak in July before driving TEUs [20-foot...
Car Alarm: U.S. Auto Exports & The Impact of Shifting Trade Policy
A return to the 25% duty rate on U.S. automotive exports to China is set to enter into effect on December 15th, and U.S. auto-makers are worried about the effects. Overseas sales of U.S.-made cars have yet to recover after last year’s tariff cut shipments to China by...
The Top U.S. Trade Partner is Now Mexico
Mexico, steadily rising in rank to No. 12 among exporting nations, has eclipsed China and Canada to become the U.S.’s leading trade partner. Mexico is now the top U.S. trade partner, ranked by total value of import and export trade, according to Descartes...