Afternoon Coffee: Shutdown Strains Supply Chains; EU Offers Narrow Response in U.S. Trade Talks

Photographee.eu/Adobe Stock

The government shutdown is the longest in U.S. history, but what it means in the present is that U.S. agencies that oversee the flow of goods maybe cutting back to the point of affecting supply chains, The Wall Street Journal reports. “Some exporters are running into delays getting export licenses approved, fewer air cargo security staff are on hand to scan shipments and some refunds for customs payments aren’t being processed, said industry officials and businesses that move goods through airports and seaports,” the Journal reports.

Trade Talks Not Just for China

Much of the recent news has focused on U.S.-China trade talks, and how the U.S. may relax tariffs to spur a better deal, The Wall Street Journal reports. But talks with the European Union heated up Friday with the EU offering a plan. It is considered narrow and may not defuse tensions between the two, the WSJ reports. The EU plan outlined “a narrow goal of slashing tariffs on industrial goods, including motor vehicles, that sets the bloc on a collision course with Washington’s broader agenda,” the Journal reports.

Insights from Nevada, Periscope Holdings

At the end of the month, a Nevada procurement administrator and the CEO of Periscope Holdings, a provider of e-procurement and Government Bid Notification software, will hold a webinar on Public Spend Forum, a sister site of ours, to discuss procurement strategy development, how to select e-procurement technology — as well as user testimonials and overall program success. Nevada Procurement Administrator Jeffrey Haag “is leveraging his private sector background and public sector expertise to drive massive change,” PSF says. Sign up for the Jan. 29 webinar here.