EU Emissions Trading System As the year draws to a close, the maritime sector is busily preparing to ensure adherence to IMO’s low-sulfur 2020 rules. But this business belies a hard truth: for all their talk, IMO is simply not taking enough concrete action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the next few years. And […]
It’s been a long and arduous journey, but at last, after 16 months of tension between the world’s two largest economies, the US-China trade war is winding down. The US and China are currently holding in-depth discussions to establish a trade deal which should lead to the removal of punitive tariffs. Trump administration officials seem […]
In the face of a burgeoning consumer movement against plastic packaging, retailers and manufacturers are ramping up sustainability efforts and seeking to cut back on plastic. This is very difficult when plastics are involved in not only packaging but also production, shipping, and just about every stage of the supply chain: but concerns about climate […]
When workers first walked out on strike back in September, few would have suspected that the strike would stretch for over six weeks. The strike is now the longest against the automaker since 1970, and though it seems that UAW and GM have now reached an agreement, the effects will continue to be felt. Why […]
On September 18th, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the “Employees and Independent Contractors” bill into law. This law, also known as Assembly Bill 5 or AB5, will rewrite California’s employment laws to make it harder for employers to classify workers as independent contractors. This is good news for many workers in the gig economy. A […]
The arrival of Hurricane Dorian is a big signal that it is time to prepare for peak hurricane season. In fact, suppliers should make sure to prepare for a particularly powerful hurricane season this year. NOAA forecasters monitoring atmospheric patterns says that, due to the end of El Niño, conditions are more favorable for above-normal […]
The European Union represents a unique project in economic integration. Likewise, Brexit represents a unique problem in trade relations. The single market created by the EU has meant an absence of duties and quotas for Member States, along with free movement for workers and a reduced administrative burden. While most hoped that a new FTA […]
As Hong Kong enters its tenth week of increasingly violent and disruptive demonstrations, both companies and the people on the ground are growing increasingly nervous. On Friday, roughly a thousand protestors dressed in black staged a sit-in at Hong Kong international airport, distributing flyers, and chanting “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Miserables. […]
These days, the outlook for international trade can turn on a dime (or a tweet). International supply chains, on the other hand, take much longer to adjust to changes, especially when it comes to China, the world’s second largest economy and the site of so much of the world’s manufacturing. However, despite the difficulties of […]
Moving freight through the world’s biggest cities is about to become even more expensive. Beginning in 2021, New York will be the first American city to implement “congestion pricing,” and will charge a toll to vehicles entering Manhattan south of Central Park. New York City’s congestion pricing plan is a response to ever-worsening traffic issues […]