Manufacturing output declines for 10th consecutive month, reports ISM
Manufacturing activity saw contraction in December, for the 10th consecutive month, according to the new edition of the Manufacturing Report on Business, which was issued today by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The report’s benchmark reading, the PMI, came in at 47.9 (a reading higher than 50 indicates growth), down 0.3% compared to November, […]
Tariffs turn supply chain finance from niche tool into a core capability
If 2025 is remembered as the “Year of the Tariff,” it will be less because tariffs themselves were new and more because of how abruptly they forced companies to confront long-standing assumptions about cost, risk, and liquidity across their supply chains. “Supply chain disruptions are not new,” says Kiley Kunkler, executive director of global receivables […]
Preparing supply chains for 2026 in six simple steps
As budgets lock for the new year, supply chain leaders want clear steps they can take to get ready for 2026. Costs are rising, labor is tight, and trade conditions keep shifting, so teams are looking for practical ways to steady their operations and plan for what’s ahead. Most expect another year of change, which means last year’s playbook […]
Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application is filed with the Surface Transportation Board
The highly-anticipated and long-awaited application, regarding the proposed $85 billion historic merger between Class I railroads Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) was filed with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) today. This follows a merger agreement that UP and NS entered into in late July. When the merger agreement was initially announced, the rail […]
PwC report indicates transportation and logistics dealmaking activity is focused on strategy, not scale
A focus on strategic alignment is serving as a primary driver for transportation and logistics mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity, according to a new report issued today by business consultancy PwC, entitled “US Deals 2026 Outlook: Transportation and Logistics.” The report observed that T&L dealmaking activity gained renewed traction over the second half of this […]
FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index shows modest growth
The new edition of the Shippers Conditions Index (SCI), which was recently issued by freight transportation consultancy FTR, headed in the right direction. FTR describes the SCI as an indicator that sums up all market influences that affect the transport environment for shippers, with a reading above zero being favorable and a reading below being […]
ASCM’s top 10 supply chain trends highlight a year of intelligent transformation
When ASCM previewed its Top 10 Supply Chain Trends earlier this year, the themes were familiar: artificial intelligence, tariffs, workforce shifts, sustainability, and the rising need for resilience. But the final report—Top 10 Supply Chain Trends 2026: Real-World Applications and Proven Strategies for Industry Professionals—goes well beyond signaling what matters. It offers a roadmap for how supply chain […]
2026 Rate Outlook: Early signs of a new freight reality?
Date/Time Thursday, January 29, 2026 2:00PM Uncertainty still dominates the transportation landscape, but shifts in capacity, trade policy, energy markets, and global demand suggest a year of transition. Our panel reveals where rates may finally stabilize—and where volatility is far from over. In this annual webcast, supply chain group editorial director Michael Levans and contributing editor Brooks Bentz have […]
National Electric Manufacturers Association calls for stronger enforcement, predictability in upcoming USMCA review
Last week, the Office of the United States Trade Representative held a public hearing focused on the operation of the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), with the first six-year review of the agreement scheduled for July 1, 2025. The USMCA agreement went into effect on January 29, 2020, during President Trump’s first term in […]
Port of Long Beach appoints Hacebaga as its next CEO, effective January 1
Following its early October announcement that Port of Long Beach (POLB) CEO, Mario Cordero, will retire at the end of 2025, following the last 8.5 years in his current position—and, prior to that, seven years on the Federal Maritime Commission and eight years as a member of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners—the Long […]