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Global supply chains

COVID-19

Ford is latest automaker to cut production due to microchip shortage

by Scott Tong
Jan 11, 2021
When the pandemic first hit last spring, auto plants shut down and carmakers curbed semiconductor orders.
The Ford factory in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2017. The plant recently had to shut down due to a shortage of semiconductors.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
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COVID-19

Bike shortage is a tale of changed lives and disrupted supply chains

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Aug 20, 2020
Lockdowns put the brakes on production in Asia while boosting demand for use in exercise and commuting.
A person walks with a bike in New York City. The coronavirus pandemic battered bicycle manufacturing but boosted demand.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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As clothing sales drop, zipper and button makers struggle

by Marielle Segarra
Aug 12, 2020
The pandemic has downstream effects all throughout the supply chain.
Employees at a textile and weaver factory in Eloyes, France, in June. The clothing industry has a global supply chain for fabrics, buttons and zippers.
Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/AFP via Getty Images
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How much money are supply chain disruptions costing companies?

by Sabri Ben-Achour , Meredith Garretson , Erika Soderstrom and Alex Schroeder
Aug 6, 2020
Cyberattacks, trade disputes, the coronavirus, natural disasters — it is exceedingly difficult to manage a complex web of business relationships
To make supply chains more resilient, companies can digitize them, hold more inventory and simplify product designs, says Susan Lund of McKinsey. Pictured: Items being transferred at an automated logistics center in Shandong in China's eastern Qingdao province.
STR/AFP via Getty Images
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COVID-19

Chinese factories are returning, but global supply chain remains uncertain

by Scott Tong
Apr 28, 2020
Cranking up the global manufacturing machine is not just about China.
Workers in face masks at a car seat factory in Shanghai.
Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images
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COVID-19

COVID-19 stirs questions about medical supply chains

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Mar 26, 2020
Dependence on global supply chains can be useful in a crisis only if countries don't set up export barriers like some are now with medical supplies.
A doctor wearing personal protective gear checks a ventilator on March 16.
Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
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Mexico tariffs could hike car prices by $1,500

by Kimberly Adams
May 31, 2019
The Trump administration has threatened to levy a 5% tax on Mexican imports next month, which could go as high as 25%.
“We have the highest prices in the world right now for aluminum and steel,” said Kristin Dziczek, a vice president at the Center for Automotive Research. Above, Ford Mustangs are assembled at a plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, in 2004.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
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Trade showdown

How will the USMCA trade deal impact China?

by Jennifer Pak
Oct 4, 2018
Some firms are adding production lines in other Asian countries.
Employees work on an SUV production line at the Beijing Automotive Group Co. in Beijing in August.
Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images
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Tariff price hikes may be seen but supply chains are often opaque

by Scott Tong
Sep 19, 2018
When it comes to tariffs, consider today T minus five. In five days, more than 5,000 types of goods from China will be added to a list of tariffs imposed by the United States. That likely means higher prices for leather handbags. Fruit juice. Rain jackets. We may be surprised by what’s on the list. […]
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