In June 2019, the United States government implemented adjustments to anti-dumping tariff rate quotas (TRQs) that notably affected the importation of solar cells and steel products. These adjustments introduced stricter requirements for importers to report upstream supply sources as part of enhanced trade compliance measures. The changes aimed to tighten controls on imports linked to […]
The coming into force of Canada’s Bill C-69 in August 2019 marked, as many would cautiously agree, a significant turning point in how mining projects must approach environmental assessments and related supply chain transparency. It’s not merely about satisfying regulatory requirements on paper; there is now, arguably, a heightened expectation for firms to demonstrate how […]
Global trade in staple goods—food, beverages, and tobacco—rarely commands headlines, but it is the unseen engine behind everything from food security to macroeconomic stability. In 2019, shifts in wholesale trade flows told a story not only of market trends, but also of policy moves and changing consumer preferences. For analysts trying to map these currents, […]
The adoption of the EU Climate Law by the European Parliament in June 2019 signaled, in no uncertain terms, a new era of regulatory expectations for greenhouse gas reporting. For large manufacturing firms, the change was both anticipated and, to some extent, quietly dreaded. After all, while many companies had long acknowledged the importance of […]
The passage of the Trying to Combat Illegal Fishing Act (TIFFA) in December 2018 marked a significant shift in U.S. policy toward tightening seafood supply chain controls. By mid-2019, seafood importers and processors found themselves grappling with a new and demanding compliance landscape. The Act’s core requirement—that all seafood imports be traceable to the port […]
As the U.K. Home Office initiated its second formal review of the Modern Slavery Act in late 2019, many companies across sectors found themselves reflecting, perhaps with some unease, on the adequacy of their current compliance strategies. There has been, for some time, an undercurrent of frustration in certain corners of industry regarding the difficulty […]
In a world increasingly driven by automation and electrification, the global trade in electric motors is both a barometer and a driver of industrial change. For economists, policymakers, and industry strategists, understanding the movement of these products in 2018 and 2019 requires more than simply scanning export tallies. ISIC 2710—covering the manufacture of electric motors—offers […]
The May 2019 revision of the EU’s tariff-free textile quotas was a development that, while not entirely unexpected, prompted a flurry of recalibration across the apparel import sector. Many importers, already navigating a complex patchwork of preferential arrangements, found themselves needing to revisit sourcing strategies with little time to spare. The revision itself—intended, according to […]
The cybersecurity landscape for federal contractors shifted markedly after the issuance of Executive Order 13800 on May 11, 2018. Though the order itself was broad in its directive—aiming to enhance the resilience of federal networks and critical infrastructure—it quickly became clear that its real teeth would be felt in the supply chains supporting those networks. […]
E-commerce has always moved fast, but in Southeast Asia, 2019 felt like a turning point. The region saw digital marketplaces multiply, payment apps rise, and a new cohort of small businesses take their first steps online. For regulators and policymakers across the ASEAN bloc, the challenge was not just to keep up, but to quantify […]
When Bill C-208 received Royal Assent in June 2019, it marked a notable shift in Canada’s stance on tax avoidance and profit shifting, particularly where cross-border supply chains are concerned. The changes it introduced, especially to transfer pricing rules, were not revolutionary in isolation. But taken together, they represented a tightening of the net—an unmistakable […]
No one doubts the importance of small and medium enterprises—SMEs—in driving employment and economic diversification. They feature in nearly every ministerial speech, every multilateral policy report, and every five-year economic plan. But the persistence of generic, one-size-fits-all support measures suggests a gap: the reality is that SMEs are anything but homogenous. Their challenges differ sharply […]
Small furniture exporters operating within or supplying to the European Union found themselves increasingly under scrutiny by mid-2019, as regulators stepped up enforcement of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). The regulation, originally adopted in 2013, has long aimed to prevent illegally harvested timber and timber products from entering the EU market. Yet for many smaller […]
The 2019 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report, released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative in March, once again drew attention to a range of non-tariff barriers affecting American exporters, particularly in the electronics and automotive sectors. For seasoned trade analysts, much of the content felt familiar—concerns about divergent technical standards, opaque licensing […]
The march of automation into factory floors has been a defining feature of industrial change, but the reality of robotics adoption—who’s buying, who’s installing, and what it means for jobs—remains difficult to capture in real time. For analysts and policymakers, ISIC 2825, covering the manufacture of machinery for mining and construction, offers a strategic vantage […]
In January 2019, Natural Resources Canada released a discussion paper that, while perhaps under the radar for many outside policy circles, signaled a potentially significant shift in how large firms—particularly those in energy-intensive sectors—will be expected to account for supply-chain emissions. The paper focused on Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, those indirect emissions that arise […]