Tag Archives: Imports

Apple’s global supply chain and US jobs

An article in the New York Times (Jan 21, 2012) describes Apple’s global supply chain  for the iPhone with suppliers from Germany, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Europe, rare metals from Africa and Asia and assembly in China. The article highlights the … Continue reading

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The Berry Amendment for US Army sourcing and global supply chain impact

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (Jan 16,2012) describes the impact of the Berry Amendment, a 1941 amendment requiring self sufficiency of Army supplies.  A current plan to have combat clothing made of silk to reduce the impact of IEDs (improvised explosive … Continue reading

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Rising US steel prices, global demand trends and supply chain impact

An article in the Wall Street Journal (Dec 24, 2011) describes a 25 % rise in steel prices due to increased US demand from automakers and steel pipe demand for natural gas extraction. But as demand in China decreases, and … Continue reading

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Estimating the firm level impact of China Imports

An article in the Economist (Oct 15, 2011) describes attempts to understand the impact of imports from China on US jobs.  One study suggests that regions where manufacturers had a greater impact of Chinese imports showed greater job loss and … Continue reading

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A Parallel between Japanese auto and Chinese solar manufacturers ?

An article in the New York Times (Oct 21, 2011, B3) describes a potential reaction to US solar manufacturer unfair trade concerns regarding Chinese competitors , a parallel to Japanese auto manufacturers in the ‘80s.  At that time, Japanese auto … Continue reading

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Contradictory trends – Retail Sales forecasts at odds with imports trends

An article in the New York Times (Oct 11, 2011) describes the contradiction faced by shipping companies. Growth in retail sales have inspired strong retail growth forecasts into the future. But dropping manufacturer shipments at ports suggest demand downturns at … Continue reading

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