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When one company dominates a market, there can be downsides

Aug 24, 2023
Chipmaker Nvidia is the breakout sensation of the AI boom. But supply chain snarls have taught us the risks of having few sources.
Nvidia designs about 80% of the specialized chips needed to train complex artificial intelligence models. It makes a single-source product that's fabricated by only one company.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

India's ban on certain rice exports sends some U.S. consumers scrambling to find it on store shelves

Jul 28, 2023
The Indian government recently decided to ban exports of non-basmati varieties.
The Indian Government said it banned some rice exports to tackle inflation that had been driving rice prices way up for Indian consumers.
Narinder Nanu/AFP via Getty Images

Businesses are stocking inventory again

Jul 27, 2023
Businesses spent 2022 offloading a glut of inventory, but — in a good sign for the economy — they’re starting to carry more products now.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Why homebuilders remain confident in spite of high interest rates

Jul 19, 2023
High interest rates are hitting the construction industry, but homebuilder confidence keeps growing, given the steady demand for new construction.
With existing inventory still low and mortgage rates still high, more buyers are turning to new construction.
JIM WATSON / Getty Images

What happens if UPS workers go on strike?

Jul 10, 2023
The last time UPS workers went on strike was 1997. It lasted 15 days, and cost $850 million. 
UPS and its workers union just ended another round of negotiations with no deal, and their contract expires July 31.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

After months of glut, manufacturers now say inventories are almost "too low"

Jul 6, 2023
Manufacturers surveyed by the Institute for Supply Management said that their clients’ inventories shrank in June. But how low is too low?
Low inventory levels could be a sign that manufacturers are doing a good job of handling the economic slow down.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

West Coast ports lost market share. Will they get it back?

May 8, 2023
Stung by supply chain breakdowns and worried about labor unrest, many shippers have rerouted goods to the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

After years of too much or too little, a return to just-in-time inventory

Apr 4, 2023
The cycle of shortages and overstocking may be easing, thanks to supply chains restarting in Asia and the cost of storing products.
With inventories in better shape, big promotions and discounts have subsided.
Hollie Adams/Getty Images

With labor and supply still tight, a Detroit business owner finds an optimistic new normal

Feb 1, 2023
Supply chain hangups and labor shortages have frustrated small businesses. But for a custom frame shop in Detroit, optimism is high for 2023.
Eric Vaughn of Eric's I've Been Framed Shop has handled business smoothly, despite being down to just two employees.
Courtesy Vaughn

The U.S. is trying to remake the chip supply chain, despite the glut

Jan 30, 2023
American policymakers are aiming to promote U.S. chip manufacturing while protecting national security, experts say.
A recent surplus of semiconductor chips has caused prices to tank.
Annabelle Chih/Getty Images