A combination of shipping delays due to the ongoing issues with the major shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Panama canal, compounded by several force majeure announcements from global manufacturers, have caused a trickle down effect of supply disruptions that could impact your business. With one of the supply interruptions being a key syngas... Read more »
In recent years, Mexico has faced a significant challenge in combating fuel theft, leading to substantial economic losses and environmental hazards. To address this issue, The Mexican Ministry of Energy (SENER) and Ministry of Economy published a modified agreement on October 23, 2023 “prohibiting importation into Mexico of 68 tariff categories of petroleum products, including... Read more »
At a time of year when transportation and freight are already pressed, the possibility of a major rail strike threatens to further disrupt the US economy. In September, a tentative agreement was made between rail companies and unions, temporarily preventing a strike. Now it appears that a strike may be imminent next month. Contract negotiations... Read more »
The global supply chain has taken many blows over the last three years. Today, it faces yet another strain – a drought on the Mississippi River. A major US transportation hub, the Mississippi is the second longest river in the United States, covering more than 2,300 miles. In addition, its tributaries run through 32... Read more »
US rail workers could be headed for a nationwide strike if an agreement is not reached within days, which could be a devastating blow to the economy and manufacturing. Union members voted in July to strike, seeking better quality-of-life provisions in their contracts. These provisions center around attendance policies and vacation and sick days. ... Read more »
While the Russian invasion of Ukraine has largely fallen from the daily headlines, the economic effects of the conflict are still being felt worldwide. Prior to the conflict, the European Union (EU) imported 40% of its natural gas from Russia, with Germany as their largest consumer. Nearly 1/3 of Germany’s natural gas was supplied by... Read more »
The supply chain is bracing for yet another strain or break, as California’s controversial “AB5” legislation takes full effect this month. AB5 is California Assembly Bill 5, which was passed at the end of 2019 and technically went into law on January 1, 2020. The bill was designed to regulate companies like Lyft, Uber and... Read more »
For months, the news cycles and industry blogs have been filled with stories involving worldwide supply chain issues. Now it seems that for the first time in a while, we are seeing some progress being made and it’s coming from a predictably progressive source: California. With just two California ports handling roughly 40% of... Read more »
Heading into winter amid a supply-chain crisis comes with some new considerations, and buyers should be concerned about more than just whether or not there will be gifts under the tree this year. With more than 100 ships waiting to offload at LA ports, it’s important to remember that those container ships carry more than... Read more »
I think most will agree that right now is a very difficult time to be a purchaser of chemical raw materials. It was a perfect storm of unfortunate events that put us in this situation, and the reasons why each individual product is in tight supply vary in complexity. For most, it was the aftermath... Read more »
