New tariffs from the European Union have gone into effect that tax U.S. imports from Harley-Davidson bikes to cranberries. After months of negotiations, UPS and the Teamsters Union cut a deal Thursday to permit Saturday and Sunday deliveries in exchange for several concessions. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest in procurement and supply chain news.
Seal Software, a provider of content discovery and analytics software, has announced a partnership with DocuSign, a provider of e-signature technology. And the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that states have the right to collect sales taxes from e-commerce companies. This decision overturns Quill Corporation v. North Dakota, which ruled that states cannot require businesses to collect sales taxes unless they have a physical presence in the state. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
Shipping and warehousing costs for U.S. businesses increased by 6.2% to almost $1.5 trillion in 2017, according to the latest State of Logistics Report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. And a new bipartisan Senate bill, the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, seeks to make the federal government’s IT supply chain more secure. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
Google plans to invest $550 million in JD.com, a move that will support Google’s expansion in Asian markets and make it more competitive against rivals like Amazon and Alibaba. And Nestlé and XPO Logistics will partner on building a $74.5-million futuristic warehouse in Leicestershire, complete with flying drones and robotic arms. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
Another day, another step closer to a U.S.-China trade war. The Wall Street Journal reports that China has announced retaliatory tariffs “by targeting high-value American exports—including farm products, cars and crude oil.” On Friday, the Trump administration had announced that it would impose 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products. In a tit-for-tat move, China will impose 25% tariffs on $50 billion in U.S. goods. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
The Trump administration announced today that it will impose tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese products, the New York Times reports, and Beijing plans to hit back with tariffs of its own. Microsoft partnered with Adents on a blockchain-based supply chain solution, Adents NovaTrack, that will offer end-to-end visibility and traceability. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
Aquiire, an e-procurement and supplier relationship management solution provider, announced in a press release this morning that it has received a patent for “methods and systems for integrating procurement systems with electronic catalogs.” And in a press release from yesterday, Redwood Software announced that it has developed the industry’s first robotic processing automation solution as a service. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
Taiwan stands to benefit from flaring tensions between the U.S. and China, as U.S. technology companies consider the country as an alternative hub for production and research. The International Energy Agency said Wednesday that sanctions and economic upheaval could create a 30% oil supply gap. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest in procurement and supply chain news.
Mars has dispatched a team to help restore vanilla production in Madagascar, the world’s largest exporter of the ingredient. Rallying oil prices will likely persuade OPEC members to agree to a production increase, ending the supply curbs that began 18 months ago. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest in procurement and supply chain news.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released Thursday its long-awaited 2017 Contingent Workforce Supplement, which has not been published since 2005. Foxconn is investigating a plant in China that makes Amazon Echo dots and Kindle e-readers for accusations of harsh working conditions. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest in procurement and supply chain news.
Chinese phone manufacturer ZTE pulled back from the brink Thursday after the Trump administration cut a deal in exchange for lifting a ban on doing business with U.S. suppliers. Mexican steelmakers and suppliers have suspended exports to the U.S. and will discontinue negotiations with American buyers in response to the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest in procurement and supply chain news.
Transportation managers are breathing a sigh of relief Thursday as dockworkers at U.S. East and Gulf Coast seaports reached a tentative six-year contract agreement with the port operators. The logistics situation in Brazil, however, is less positive. Following highway shutdowns by more than 600,000 truckers protesting against rising fuel costs, Lloyd’s Loading List reports it will take weeks for supply chain operations in the country to normalize. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest in procurement and supply chain news.