Supply Chain Research

Supply Chain Edge: Widening impact of Middle East war, outlook for trade policies, prospects for US-mainland China deal

April 2, 2026

Key findings – The continued conflict in the Middle East is driving a widening range of supply chain disruptions. In new research this week, we identify challenges for US farmers from nitrogenous fertilizer shortages, clothing and industrial materials makers from reduced naphtha availability, ... Read more →

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Supply Chain Edge: Tracing Middle East supply chain dependencies, investigating new corridors, tracking CHPIs

March 26, 2026

– Conflict in the Middle East continues to present challenges for supply chain decision-makers. Our deep dive into regional supply chain exposures across six sectors and 90 countries highlights that the challenge is moving from price hikes to shortages in availability. South Asia is particular... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Section 232 time, Middle East conflict costs and upcoming consoles

March 20, 2026

– US trade policy and the resulting tariffs remain highly dynamic, with the average US import duty rate reaching 9.8% in January ahead of the replacement of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) duties with Section 122 and previously signed trade deals in question. The latest act... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Middle East war’s supply chain implications for electronics, food, autos and data centers; new US tariffs; Lego’s success

March 13, 2026

– The impact of the Middle East war is being felt across a wide range of supply chains, our research finds this week. The reduced availability of oil and gas is obvious, but reduced gas production also means reduced noble gas shipments for the electronics sector. Food supplies are at risk from... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Impact of Middle East conflict; shifting maritime regulations; new deals in Latin America

March 6, 2026

– The conflict in the Middle East has serious repercussions for global supply chains. In new research this week, we consider the impact of the loss of transshipment hubs for global container freight and the loss of airfreight access for electronics and pharmaceuticals. The US government also c... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Refunds and front-loading, Ukraine’s logistics four years on, mainland China’s new export controls

February 27, 2026

– In new research this week, we find that supply chain decision-makers are being pulled back into short-term decision-making on refunds and front-loading following the US Supreme Court’s ruling on overall International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, with the Trump administratio... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Falling shipping rates, merging container lines, tariffed toys

February 20, 2026

– Ahead of the Journal of Commerce’s TPM26 conference from March 2 we address a range of upcoming issues for the container shipping sector. Global container freight rates are expected to decline further in 2026 with capacity growth of 4.7% outstripping demand growth of 1.7% with two scenarios ... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Deals week, video game diversification and circular metals

February 13, 2026

– Trade deals continue to reshape global supply chains amid policy uncertainty. The US finalized bilateral agreements with India, Argentina and Bangladesh, offering tariff reductions but introducing complexity through rules of origin requirements. India’s pharmaceutical exports face an unclear... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Testing tariffs, electronics supply chain outlook and port proceedings

February 6, 2026

– The US Trump administration’s flagship International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs are aimed in part at reducing the merchandise trade deficit, which fell by 19.8% year over year in November 2025. At the same time, widening exemptions from tariffs in food cut the average tari... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Approving the mother of all deals, diversifying Canada and BYD’s doubling

January 30, 2026

– The trade agreement reached between India and the EU this week is another step forward in nearly 20 years of negotiations, with the terms appearing to be designed to optimize the chance of passage, avoiding key sensitive sectors such as agriculture, although the EU’s aims to double exports b... Read more →