The global supply chain is finally turning around as the economy enters a slowdown, consumer demand softens and some of the back-ordered goods from last year are finally arriving. Those changes are showing up in RSM Canada's Supply Chain Index, which in June turned positive for the first time since ... READ MORE >
supply chain bottlenecks
Preparing for a tsunami of imported goods
The recent reopening of China’s factory floors and the easing of its supply chain bottlenecks have prompted discussion about the ability of the U.S. supply chain to absorb what will be a tsunami of imported goods. With the value of the dollar rising, which lowers the cost of imported goods, demand for ... READ MORE >
RSM US Supply Chain Index: Inventory-led improvement in April
Supply chain bottlenecks improved in April yet remained significantly underwater. At the current pace, a full recovery will not take place until the first half of next year, implying that inflation will remain above the 2% target rate for the rest of this year and much of next year. While the impact ... READ MORE >
The price of war: Risks around the inflation outlook
While we expect the annual inflation rate to peak this quarter as comparisons to the lower levels of a year ago wear off, the risk of rising prices will remain as the twin shocks of the Russia-Ukraine war and China’s coronavirus shutdowns endure. These price shocks will have the biggest effect on ... READ MORE >
RSM US Supply Chain Index posted the best result in a year
As much of the world eases COVID restrictions, we believe that the worst of domestic supply chain issues are in the rear-view mirror. Yet rising infections in some countries, along with geopolitical tensions, could delay a full return to normal. After a dip in January because of the omicron ... READ MORE >
RSM US Supply Chain Index: Omicron pauses improvement
Stress in the U.S. supply chain increased in January as the omicron surge temporarily put some parts of overall production to a halt. While we still expect stress on U.S. and global supply chains to improve this year, geopolitical tensions associated with the imminent Russian incursion into Ukraine ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: U.S. industrial production rebounds
A colder-than-normal January pushed industrial production up significantly as utility production rose 9.9% on the month—the highest rate on record—according to a report from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. Overall industrial production volume, as a result, advanced by 1.4% in January from a decrease ... READ MORE >
Protests’ ramifications on the Canadian economy
The trucker convoy has shuttered the Canadian economy, with consequences reaching far beyond cross-border trade and encompassing the supply chain, inflation, the labor market and economic growth. The protests, which led Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to declare a national public order emergency on ... READ MORE >
How construction firms can manage a fractured supply chain
Two years into the pandemic, the construction industry is still grappling with the fallout of the economic shock as builders scramble to secure raw materials and the workers to keep their projects on track. The whipsaw change over the past two years has fragmented the construction supply chain, ... READ MORE >
Canada inflation highest since 1991 as supply chain disruptions continue
Canada’s consumer price index hit 4.8% in December, the highest since 1991 as supply chain disruptions continued, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday. The inflation is driven by supply chain disruptions, pent-up demand and inflation expectations. While pent-up demand is ... READ MORE >