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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 […]

US-China Trade War: Tensions Rising

May 29, 2019

Daisy

China, News, Trade Relations, United States

In light of the ongoing US-China trade war, the International Trade Council is offering insights into potential strategies that Beijing could employ to destabilize President Trump’s approach. Drawing inspiration from Chinese history and ancient strategic manual The Art of War, we delve into a range of tactics that China could utilize in response to the […]

U.S. Executive Order on Strengthening the Cyber Supply Chain (Oct 2018) – Compliance Roadmap (2019)

May 15, 2019

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. […]

International Trade Council: “World Markets React to US-China Trade Tensions”

May 9, 2019

Daisy

China, News, Trade Relations, United States

The International Trade Council is closely monitoring the impact of US-China trade tensions on global markets. As President Trump vows to double tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods, stock markets worldwide have experienced significant losses. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost 1.5% on Wednesday, following a 1.8% drop in the Dow Jones. European markets also […]

Tracking 2019 E‐Commerce Growth with ISIC 4791 in Southeast Asia

May 1, 2019

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 […]

Canada’s Tax Avoidance and Profit Shifting Legislation (Bill C-208, Mar 2019) – Supply Chain Financial Transparency

May 1, 2019

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 […]

Enhancing SME Support Programs with ISIC Insights

April 17, 2019

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 […]

EU Timber Regulation (2013) – Roadmap to EUTR Compliance for Small Furniture Exporters (2019)

April 15, 2019

EU Timber Regulation (2013) – Roadmap to EUTR Compliance for Small Furniture Exporters (2019)

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 […]

U.S. National Trade Estimate Report (Mar 2019) – Supply Chain Barriers Identified

April 1, 2019

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 […]

ISIC Codes in 2018 for Measuring Robotics Adoption in Manufacturing

March 20, 2019

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 […]

Canada’s Supply-Chain Emissions Disclosure Discussion Paper (Jan 2019) – Preparing for Future Regulations

March 15, 2019

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 […]

U.K. Social Value Act (2013) – Measuring Social Impact in Public Procurement Supply Chains (2019)

March 1, 2019

The Social Value Act, first enacted in 2013, has long been praised—and sometimes quietly criticized—for its ambition to embed social benefit considerations into public procurement processes. For years, the legislation encouraged contracting authorities to look beyond price and technical merit, to consider how procurement decisions might contribute to broader community wellbeing. Yet, for all the […]

EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR, 2017) – Transition to Traceability via EUDAMED (2019)

February 15, 2019

EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR, 2017) – Transition to Traceability via EUDAMED (2019)

The European Union’s Medical Devices Regulation, published back in May 2017, introduced a host of transformative requirements aimed at reshaping medical device oversight, not least in the realm of supply chain traceability. The deadline for compliance may have felt distant at first. But by early 2019, manufacturers, suppliers, and regulators alike found themselves grappling with […]

Analyzing 2018 Urban Service Sector Growth via ISIC 9609

February 10, 2019

The gig economy has a reputation for being everywhere and nowhere at once—a headline trend, but hard to pin down in official data. In cities around the world, the surge of freelancers, micro-entrepreneurs, and niche service providers has transformed daily life. Yet, quantifying that change, especially at the pace it happens, remains a puzzle. For […]

U.S. Farm Bill (2018) – Hemp and CBD Supply Chain Licensing (2019)

February 1, 2019