All over the world, healthcare workers face a critical supply shortage of personal protection equipment (PPE) which prevents cross-contamination between caregivers and patients. Life-saving ventilators are in short supply. It’s inconceivable that in 2020, the richest country in the world cannot produce enough masks, gowns, shields and equipment in response to the Covid-19 pandemic for…
The Covid-19 pandemic and oil-market volatility drove the U.S. manufacturing index back into contraction territory in March, as the Institute for Supply Management’s PMI fell to 49.1 from 50.1 the prior month. With 50.0 as the line of demarcation between contraction and growth, new orders at 42.2 percent and employment, at 43.8, are at the…
U.S.-China freight rates have been heavily impacted by the ongoing developments in Covid-19, according logistics expert Freightos, which also provides insight on global shipping trends. China-US West Coast prices (FBX01 Daily) rose 1 percent since last week to $1,533/FEU. Rates are 3 percent lower than last year’s prices for this week. China-US East Coast prices…
In addition to the human cost of life, IDC said the Covid-19 outbreak will impact year-over-year revenue growth in the global chip market. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) is affecting China and is spreading within East Asia and into Europe and North America. In addition to the human cost of life, the impact of the…
The reality of Covid-19 has settled into the electronics supply chain as shipment delays, labor shortages and flight cancellations have upended global logistics. Although the tech industry has improved supply chain resilience, new technologies are gaining traction as the coronavirus spreads. The previous weeks have focused on Chinese supply as manufacturing slowly recovered across the…
Today the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) revealed the first-round results of a survey focused on coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) business and supply chain impacts. Notably, nearly 75 percent of companies report supply chain disruptions in some capacity due to coronavirus-related transportation restrictions, and more than 80 percent believe that their organization will experience some…
Electronic component manufacturers (OCMs) and their OEM/EMS customers say they don’t have much visibility into their partners’ supply chains. During the coronavirus outbreak, that visibility may determine how quickly the electronics industry bounces back from a prolonged China shutdown. A survey the ECIA conducted on Feb. 7 found a majority of OCMs didn’t know how…
For months, economists – and, frankly, a lot of market research firms– have practiced a “wait and see” attitude toward the global economic impact of the coronavirus, or Covid-19. As the virus spreads worldwide, the stock market tanks and rebounds and China begins to stabilize, the experts are speaking out: Patrick Gourley, University of New…
U.S. factory activity declined in February as new orders contracted and concerns about coronavirus-related supply chain disruption spread across industries. The Institute for Supply Management’s PMI is clinging to expansion at 50.1 percent, down from 50.9 percent in January. Fifty is the line of demarcation between expansion and contraction. “Coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the…
When China sneezes, the world catches cold. The uncontained outbreak of coronavirus in China is having ripple effects all around the globe. Not only has it has had a disruptive impact on personal travel plans and social relationships, it has also upended the supply chains in just about every type of industry. That had not…