Category: Industry Sector

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York this week said stress on the world’s beleaguered supply chains had finally returned to normal — below normal, in fact.

Not so fast, responded a professor at the top-ranked US university for supply-chain management.

After the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index was posted Monday with a reading of -0.26, sinking below the zero level that’s consistent with the historical average, Michigan State University Associate Professor Jason Miller said in an email that it’s wrong to declare an all-clear and cited other evidence:

• The Bank of Canada’s business-outlook survey for the fourth quarter of 2022, which showed some businesses said price adjustments related to previous supply disruptions continue to filter through their supply chains.
• The Philly Fed’s manufacturing survey for December, which found that 45% of respondents said supply-chain issues moderately or significantly constrained capacity use.
• The US Census Bureau’s quarterly survey of plant use showed issues relating to insufficient supply of materials were still about three times worse than before the pandemic in the third quarter, despite some betterment.
• Institute for Supply Management data showing commodity shortfalls for some products including semiconductors running in excess of 25 months.

The field

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government announced Wednesday that it is planning on imposing additional restrictions on the export of machines that make advanced processor chips, joining a U.S. push that aims at limiting China’s access to materials used to make such chips.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher sent a letter to lawmakers outlining the proposed limitations, which come in addition to existing export controls on semiconductor technology.

“In view of technological developments and geopolitical context, the government has come to the conclusion that it is necessary for (inter)national security to extend the existing export control of specific semiconductor production equipment,” she wrote.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited U.S. President Joe Biden in January for talks on advanced chip machines made by Dutch company ASML and other topics.

The Biden administration in October imposed export controls to limit China’s access to advanced chips, which it says can be used to make weapons, commit human rights abuses and improve the speed and accuracy of its military logistics. It urged allies like Japan and the Netherlands to follow suit.

China has criticized the moves as violations of market principles in international trade.

The Biden administration

As a female leader, I’m often approached to share thoughts, contribute to a project, or address audiences both inside and outside the organization on a range of important topics. International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8th, typically features on the agenda.

However, moments in time come and go, and International Women’s Day is just one day out of 365. At FedEx, one thing that we have been working towards over the years – even decades – is how to place female equality and empowerment on the agenda all year round. It’s critical that conversations around DE&I are the constant drumbeat to our working routine. When it comes to the actions that need to be taken, to improve gender equity for women everywhere, progress and change need to be constant.

Shining a spotlight on technology
Of course, the focus or theme of each International Women’s Day can be helpful in signalling the areas that may need extra impetus or are more urgent to address in driving change. This year, events and campaigns are focusing on bridging the technology gap. The 2023 theme: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” sets out the following priorities:

– Address the digital gender divide

(Bloomberg) –Commodities from copper to iron ore fell after China set a cautious economic growth target of about 5% for the year and didn’t announce any major new stimulus.

The goal unveiled at the National People’s Congress was below what most economists had been expecting, giving Beijing more room for maneuver after it missed last year’s target by a wide margin. The absence of a landmark announcement to boost real estate and infrastructure is damping enthusiasm among metals investors, many of whom were looking for more stimulus to support this year’s rally.

None of the official documents released so far at the NPC suggests authorities are keen on the kind of massive boost deployed to right the economy after the global financial crisis or at the beginning of the pandemic. The target for local government bond sales — the backbone of infrastructure investment that drives the bulk of raw materials demand — was also modest.

“The NPC sent the message that the government only aims to support and stabilize the economy, instead of issuing massive stimulus,” said Jiang Hang, head of trading at Yonggang Resources Co. Overseas investors have been overly optimistic about the potential for more stimulus and bulls