Supply Chain
- De minimis exemption slated to end in 2027Commercial use of the trade tool allowing low-cost imports to avoid duties will be repealed as part of an expansive bill President Donald Trump signed on Friday.
- Postal Service stakeholders call for pause of agency’s overhaul planLeaders of package shipping and mailing groups said USPS should concentrate on last-mile delivery rather than filling out its middle-mile network.
- US, Vietnam reach trade deal, Trump saysStateside imports from Vietnam will be subject to a 20% tariff under the agreement, the president announced Wednesday.
- Spice giant McCormick warns tariffs could cost $90M a yearPrices for ingredients such as black pepper, cinnamon and vanilla are expected to rise as they cannot be commercially grown in the U.S.
- FedEx establishes automotive vertical in B2B shipping pushThe logistics giant aims to capture more premium volume in the North American auto market, Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said.
Packaging
- Five Essential Warehouse Automation Technologies You Should be UsingAs warehouse automation technology continues to display innovation, some applications are becoming absolutely essential in shaping the future of warehouse operations. Whether you're optimizing inventory management or enhancing order fulfillment, embracing these tools is a smart move.
- Auditor Approved: How Verity's System Improved Scholl and DSV Inventory ChecksWall-to-wall audits often mean halting operations, hiring temp labor, and pausing fulfillment—just to satisfy compliance. Scholl’s 3PL partner DSV took a different approach.
- Navigating the Future of Sustainable PackagingGovernments, regulators and consumers are demanding a shift to more sustainable packaging practices, and businesses across the supply chain must adapt.
- Three Ways That Right-Sizing Packaging Benefits the EnvironmentE-commerce growth comes with an environmental cost, but rightsizing packaging offers a simple way to reduce its impact.
- Cutting Costs While Reducing Your Carbon FootprintBeyond simply minimizing the packaging materials used, companies can explore alternative additional sustainable packaging solutions.
Material Handling
- KION Group and Li-Cycle form battery recycling partnership focused on circular economyKION Group signs agreement with Li-Cycle, a leader in lithium-ion battery resource recovery. Recycling will initially be carried out beginning later this year in a new Li-Cycle plant in the Magdeburg, Germany area with expansion into other countries, including France.
- ProMat 2023 insights: Integrated robotics direction seems well-matched to the timesLabor availability issues remain a core driver for warehouse automation and robotics, but ProMat exhibitors were also talking up analytics, algorithms, and digital twin modeling as a means of containing costs in inflationary times.
- ProMat 2023 attendance sets new mark at nearly 51,000 registrantsProMat returns as biggest supply chain event in its history, with an overall registration count of 50,924 and 1,051 exhibitors.
- Gap Inc. expands its e-fulfillment networkA new 800,000-square-foot DC in Texas optimizes fulfillment processes and the network.
- MHI announces winners of 2023 MHI Innovation and StartUp awardsLast night, during Industry Night at ProMat 2023, MHI announced the winners of the 2023 MHI Innovation and Startup Awards.
Transportation & Distribution
- Ocean Carriers Warn of No End in Sight for Global Shipping LogjamA port operating at 90% of capacity generates a lot of inefficiencies, with increased dwell times that can quickly create delays further down the supply chain.
- Turning Missed into Delivered - The Final Mile ReinventedThe final mile remains one of the most complex and critical stages in parcel delivery—where high customer expectations often collide with outdated systems and limited flexibility. GLS, the fastest carrier in the Western U.S., is tackling this challenge head-on with a tech-forward, customer-centric approach.
- Amazon Looks to Expand Rural Delivery NetworkThis comes after Amazon announced plans in April to spend $4 billion to triple the size of its rural delivery network by adding 200 new delivery stations.
- Ports of Indiana to Reopen Burns Harbor Grain TerminalThe Burns Harbor grain terminal first opened in 1979, and helped move more than 500 million bushels of corn and soybeans up until its closure in 2023.
- FedEx Founder Fred Smith Dies at 80A Marine Corps veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, Smith is known as the pioneer of the "hub and spoke" distribution model.