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What wholesale inventory says about goods in our economy

May 30, 2024
Wholesalers supply both retailers and manufacturers.
When wholesale inventories run low, they can suggest robust retail sales.
Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images

Supply chains are tightening again. This time, it looks like a good sign for the economy.

Mar 14, 2024
Early in the pandemic, congested supply chains drove inflation. Now, we’re seeing growth without major disruptions.
Bringing capacity back into the supply chain could indicate a potential boost in GDP, said Dale Rogers of Arizona State.
Julia Nikhinson/AFP via Getty Images

The state of the supply chain in 2022? A lot like 2021.

Aug 2, 2022
Uncertainty and high costs continue to worry businesses and exert upward pressure on inflation.
The costs associated with shipping containers surged last year. Although those costs have eased, they remain above historic averages.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

China's lockdowns haven't greatly affected maritime shipping

May 19, 2022
"What we've seen is consistent cargo flow," says Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.
Shipping hasn't slowed at the Port of Los Angeles, according to executive director Gene Seroka.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Shifting supply chains settle on Mexico

May 2, 2022
After a pandemic, trade war and rising wages, many manufacturers have been looking for other options outside of China.
With rising labor costs in China and the delay in receiving goods, some U.S. manufacturers are moving operations to Mexico. Above, workers at a truck parts factory in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, in May 2020.
Mauricio Palos/AFP va Getty Images

This manufacturer sees little improvement in snarled global supply chains

Apr 26, 2022
“It’s the kind of stuff that keeps you awake at night,” said Teresa Asbury, a senior executive at the Legacy Cos.
Pandemic lockdowns in China are stacking more challenges onto overloaded shipping networks.
Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images

Having soared throughout the pandemic, the cost of shipping declined in March

Apr 5, 2022
From the shipping slowdown in China to the excess of inventory on hand, there are a number of likely reasons for the drop.
Shipping hasn't slowed at the Port of Los Angeles, according to executive director Gene Seroka.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Life inside Shanghai’s latest COVID surge

Mar 29, 2022
Shanghai officials boast that their strategy to snuff out the spread of COVID-19 is preferable to a city-wide lockdown. For residents living through the current wave, the effects are jarring.
Medical workers in Shanghai exit a residential building that has been sealed. Shanghai has done mass testing in this latest surge of COVID-19 cases.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

New York Fed index looks at pandemic's effect on the global supply chain

Jan 4, 2022
The global supply chain pressure index shows that recent disruptions are extreme. But the labor situation is not represented.
The new global supply chain pressure index shows extreme disruption, according to one of its creators. Above, shipping containers at a British port.
Christopher Furlong via Getty Images

Prices will remain high, California warehouse owner predicts

Dec 16, 2021
David Erlanger is dealing with shipping delays and price increases the likes of which he hasn’t seen in his decades in the business.
David Erlanger at his main warehouse in Riverside, California. Business is good, but the conditions are challenging, he said.
Andie Corban/Marketplace