Logistics

• [New] A diverse profile of vaccination sites, drawing on the benefits of different distribution modes, will help maximise the daily vaccination rate and vaccinate the Australian population against COVID-19 as quickly as possible.
• [New] It will allow H&M to gradually diversify its supply chain and create alternatives to the use of cotton in light of the growing media coverage of the alleged exploitation of cotton workers in the Xinjiang region of China.
• [New] A disruption in the global supply chain for chips significantly impacted the production of many products, notably motor vehicles as a number of North American plants had to stop production.
• [New] As users become ever more comfortable with new technologies, the 'flight to digital' will be a key factor in strengthening supply chains and facilitating global trade, it said.
• [New] Manufacturing disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a mood of heightened protectionism are among the factors that could cause more multinationals to shift supply chains out of China.
• [New] Federal Low-Income Housing Grant Doubles in Size in 2021 Thanks to a coronavirus pandemic-fueled mortgage boom, states will get nearly $700 million in federal grants from a special program for low-income housing, more than double the amount distributed last year.
• [New] Regions that remain on the outside - i.e. North America, Europe and India - surely fear that trade flows will be diverted.
• [New] The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said it now expects the global economy to grow 6% in 2021-up from its January forecast of 5.5% growth - thanks to fiscal stimulus spending and vaccines are distribution, but some countries will fare better than others.
• [New] Two of Canada's close allies, the U.S. and the U.K., already have concrete plans to distribute vaccines, with the first delivery expected in December.
• [New] Perceiving the threat for a supply chain risk during the Covid pandemic, Japan decided to splurge big on subsidies to promote Japanese supply chain in ASEAN.
• [New] Private 5G MEC from AWS and Verizon brings ultra-low latency to dedicated, closed, on-premises environments for use cases such as autonomous mobile robots, quality assurance, and hazard alerting.
• [New] If recent announcements in the U.S. or EU are any indication, governments will play an increasingly involved role in the rebuild of lithium-ion supply chains.
• [New] Even for company executives who are convinced there's no slave labor in their supply chain, just staying in China comes with reputational risk and exposure to the caprices of the Chinese government.
• [New] Supply chains are concentrated mainly in the US and allied countries, but some supply chain segments, such as leading-edge logic chip manufacturing, have consolidated in regions posing higher risks of natural disasters, geopolitical events, or other disruptions.
• [New] As other suppliers are nudged out of supply chains, there will be improved prospects for Australian processing and the manufacturing of battery precursors.
• [New] The first target area would be critical minerals, with applicants expected to develop supply chain credibility and assist Australia's critical minerals companies in getting more of their goods into foreign markets.
• [New] Central and Eastern European economies that are integrated into Germany's supply chains, such as Poland, will continue to benefit from strong demand for Germany's exports, especially from China.
• [New] Trade presents an upside risk to growth in 2021 given Malaysia's position in electronics supply chains and exposure to U.S. final demand.
• [New] Capital expenditures are expected to be $ 335-$ 345 million for the year, accounting for investments made in supply chain, digital capabilities, new store openings and renovations, and other technology and general corporate infrastructure projects.
• [New] Vaccine distribution remains nonexistent in many of the poorest countries, and experts anticipate that 80% of the population in low-resource settings will not receive a vaccine in 2021.
• [New] United Nations officials are reviewing plans to construct a new canal on the Egypt-Israel border after the blockage of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given container ship,, which is estimated to have cost millions of dollars and resulted in a disruption of global supply chains.
• More than 80% of companies with factories in Japan have begun diversifying their supply chains, a recent Nikkei survey has found, as the coronavirus pandemic and other disruptions highlight the risks posed by highly streamlined production processes.

Last updated: 10 April 2021