Supply Chain Research

Supply Chain Edge: Furniture flattened, apparel folded

March 17, 2023

Supply chain activity and retail sales data indicate that the furniture and apparel sectors are in a state of decline, dragging total US seaborne imports down 20% year over year in February. Evidence from memory-chip makers indicates that the tech sector is still in a downturn, although a head... Read more →

Brexit Watch: Showdown with EU set as U.K. asks for Northern Ireland customs relaxation

July 22, 2021

The U.K. government has proposed a series of measures to reform the Northern Ireland Protocol. The Protocol defines customs operations and is key to ensuring continued compliance with the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement by ensuring no physical barriers between Northern Ireland and Ireland. The... Read more →

Brexit Watch: Sainsbury’s, Tesco may switch food supplies if customs aren’t reformed

July 19, 2021

The CEOs of major U.K. retailers, including J Sainsbury and Tesco, have warned that uncertainty over the future of customs for shipping food into Northern Ireland “could force many retailers to move supply chains from GB to the EU”. The U.K. government will shortly be making a proposal to adap... Read more →

Brexit Watch: Sausage wars come at the wrong time for trade activity, U.S. relations

June 14, 2021

Relations between the EU and U.K. have worsened in the wake of the G7 Summit meetings. Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatened “to invoke Article 16” to suspend the Northern Ireland protocol covering trade with Ireland and the EU more broadly in a disagreement over processed meat shipping stan... Read more →

EU Parliament approves U.K. trade deal, but Brexit uncertainties remain

April 28, 2021

The European Parliament has ratified the EU-U.K. Trade & Cooperation Agreement, avoiding a costly collapse of current trading relations from April 30. The Parliament has nonetheless warned the U.K. to “fully implement the terms of the agreements which it has signed” with respect in particular ... Read more →

Brexit Watch: Who needs British ports anyway?

December 3, 2020

Supply chains running through U.K. ports are facing increased complexities as the end of current trading arrangements with the EU on Dec. 31 approach. Hapag-Lloyd has applied a surcharge for U.S.-to-U.K. traffic “caused by continuing high levels of import arrivals in conjunction with infrastru... Read more →

Cargotec and Konecranes announce merger to chase cost savings

October 8, 2020

Logistics equipment suppliers Cargotec and Konecranes have announced a merger due to be completed in 2022 in order to become a “global leader in material flows”. There’s evidence of a continued slowdown in activity from both firms with U.S. seaborne imports linked to Cargotec and Konecranes do... Read more →

Brexit Watch: Diageo, Pernod could make best of a bad deal with Irish shipping shift

June 2, 2020

Negotiations between the EU and U.K. to secure a trade deal for 2021 and beyond this week are unlikely to yield much progress. The positions of the two sides are entrenched regarding the style of deal wanted: the EU wants a full deal per last year’s Political Declaration; the U.K. wants a narr... Read more →

Loss of ferry capacity to COVID-19 could disrupt spirits, tire exports

April 9, 2020

The U.K. marine logistics industry may face disruptions due to the loss of passenger ferry based cross-channel capacity for freight provided by DFDS and P&O Ferries. That in turn could have a knock on effect for international shipping, particularly for suppliers from Ireland and elsewhere that... Read more →

Tariff Quote Watch: Pernod’s Tariff Rush Could Become Pricing Hangover

October 18, 2019

Pernod Ricard’s CFO, Hélène de Tissot, has stated that “advanced shipments anticipating the risk of tariffs” on EU exports by the U.S. by wholesalers boosted the growth in the firm’s U.S. shipments to 6% from the usual 4% in the latest quarter. CEO Alexandre Ricard expects price increases to b... Read more →

Supply Chain Research

Showing research about Ireland