Archive for the ‘Supply Chain’ Category

Supply Chain

July 15, 2020

When Canada’s federal government launched its consultation on the proposed Modern Slavery Act in January 2020, few expected the volume—or the complexity—of feedback that would pour in from corporate actors, industry groups, and civil society. The submissions portal, opened with the goal of soliciting practical views on due-diligence thresholds and reporting requirements, quickly became a […]

Supply Chain

July 15, 2020

The June 2020 adoption of the EU Taxonomy Delegated Acts marked a subtle but decisive shift in how biodiversity considerations are expected to integrate into supply-chain management across sectors. For many agribusinesses in particular, this new regulatory architecture introduces complexities that go beyond carbon footprints or energy efficiency metrics. The biodiversity objective now requires firms […]

Supply Chain

July 1, 2020

The imposition of Section 301 Phase 3 tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, which took effect in September 2019, triggered what can only be described as one of the most dramatic—and, in some cases, hasty—supply chain reconfigurations in recent history. Electronics manufacturers and apparel brands, already grappling with thin margins and competitive pressures, […]

Supply Chain

May 15, 2020

With the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation set to take effect on January 1, 2021, the preparatory period leading up to that date became a critical phase for electronics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their supply-chain compliance teams. This was not the first time manufacturers had faced such regulatory obligations, of course, but the EU’s approach—with […]

Supply Chain

April 15, 2020

The passage of the CARES Act on March 27, 2020, introduced a host of new requirements and expectations for businesses benefiting from federal relief during one of the most disruptive economic periods in modern history. Among these was a stipulation that recipients of certain grants and loans report on supply chain disruptions—an element that, at […]

Supply Chain

April 1, 2020

The 2020 reporting cycle for Canada’s Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA) brought with it a unique and, in some respects, unexpected development. As mining companies and other extractive firms submitted their annual disclosures, a new category of payments began to feature in their reports—community support contributions made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This […]

Supply Chain

March 15, 2020

With the May 2021 enforcement date for the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR) drawing closer, manufacturers across the medical device sector have been taking stock of what the transition truly entails. The MDR, adopted back in 2017 but only now nearing full application, introduces a range of enhanced requirements. Among them, none perhaps is […]

Supply Chain

March 1, 2020

The introduction of the U.K. Environment Bill in January 2020 signaled a decisive shift in how the government plans to regulate packaging waste and resource efficiency across fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and beverage industries. While the Bill itself remains under parliamentary consideration, its proposed provisions on extended producer responsibility (EPR) have already prompted companies to […]

Supply Chain

February 15, 2020

The signing of Executive Order 13920 on January 25, 2020, represented a clear policy shift toward tighter domestic sourcing requirements in the name of national security and economic resilience. Intended to fortify critical infrastructure sectors, the order reinforces and expands the Buy America framework by placing greater emphasis on local content requirements for materials such […]

Supply Chain

February 1, 2020

The passage of Bill C-68, culminating in Royal Assent in June 2019, marked a significant development in Canada’s ongoing Oceans Protection Plan, particularly in how it intersects with supply chain transparency for marine-based industries. For fisheries and offshore energy firms, the implications of this legislative shift are slowly but surely becoming clearer as the focus […]

Supply Chain

January 1, 2020

The passage of the U.S. FAIR Shipping Act in December 2019 marked an important, if somewhat underappreciated, development in the long-standing effort to introduce greater transparency into maritime freight operations. While the legislation attracted less public attention than some other trade measures of the year, those involved in shipping, port management, and logistics understood its […]

Supply Chain

December 15, 2019

When the European Union revised Regulation 1107/2009 on the approval of pesticides in 2019, exporters of agricultural products to the EU found themselves facing a quietly disruptive shift. The core of the amendment centered around stricter enforcement on maximum residue limits (MRLs), particularly for cereals, fruits, and other high-volume imports where prior tolerances had been […]

Supply Chain

December 1, 2019

The passage of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill marked a significant turning point for the agricultural sector, particularly in relation to hemp. With hemp officially removed from the list of Schedule I controlled substances, the plant and its derivatives—whether destined for CBD extraction or industrial fiber—entered a regulatory limelight few could have anticipated a decade […]