All The Supply Chain News You Need To Know
Effects of Chinese tariffs began showing up in shipping data months ago . The Trump Administration’s $34 billion in tariffs went into effect last July and once they did, goods affected by them dropped by 21% from the previous year. Data on the $200 billion in tariffs should be available in a few weeks. "We will have some insight into the impact in a couple of weeks when that trade data is released," Seabury Group's Michel Looten told CNBC. "But that's the tip of the iceberg. The real effect hits in 2019 when the 25 percent tariff is enforced."
WTO in furor over US steel tariffs. Seven countries disputed the Trump administration’s protectionist tariffs during at a meeting of the World Trade Organization in Geneva on Monday . Traditionally, countries would present proposals for tariff increases to the WTO, however that process can take years. The US did not consult the WTO regarding its tariff increases. "It's getting kind of messy," said Robert McDougall, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and a former Canadian delegate to the trade body. The WTO "is under stress, and its relevance is challenged. It administers rules that are out of date."
US to impose tariffs on remaining $257 billion in Chinese goods if Trump-Xi talks collapse . The new tariffs could go into effect before the end of the year according to one report in CNBC.
Driver shortage main trucking concern according to ATRI . The American Trucking Research Institute released its Top Industry Issues report today and for the past 12 out of 14 years the truck driver shortage has remained a main issue, according to the survey. Hours of service rules, driver retention, ELDs, and parking round out the top-5 biggest problems. ( Technological infrastructure is a glaring omission – editor’s note )
Robot in aisle five . A chain of grocery stores in the St. Louis area have dispatched inventory checking robots in 4 pilot locations. The Tally robots, built by San Francisco’s Simbe Robotics, perform inventory checks and alert employees of restocking needs, as well as pricing and location errors. Schnucks began using the robots in 2017 and are now expanding their Roomba-like bots to four more locations. Tally doesn’t just locate items, though. The robots can create detailed digital maps of store locations that can enhance the shopping experience via customer’s smart phone apps.



