Supply Chain Research

Preliminary U.S. trade data for August suggests that the economic success of President Trump’s trade policies, measured by the objective of a lower trade deficit, has been partly undone by the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. merchandise trade deficit in August climbed 12.6% year over year to reach a record high, leaving the 12 month trailing total at $831 billion compared to $737 billion in 2016. Exports have been worryingly weak with a 13.3% drop in August versus a year earlier being only slightly less than the 15.7% slide of July. Capital goods and industrial supply exports have been parti...