Supply Chain Research

Appliance manufacturer Whirlpool has reported better-than-expected Q4 earnings as the result of price increases. That pricing power may have come as a result of U.S. import duties having been applied to its competitors. Yet, the price rises may have come at the expense of lower demand across the industry. Total U.S. appliance imports fell by 16.7% year over year in the three months to Nov. 30. Unsurprisingly, the drop was led by a 25.2% slide in imports from China – where tariffs will remain in place even after the phase 1 trade deal – as well as a slide in shipments from the rest of the...