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When We Don’t Have Answers, We Need to Work Quickly To Build Them

Supply Chain Shaman

Let’s Start With a Discussion on Inventory. When we look at table 1, we see burgeoning inventories in some industries and extreme shortages in others. We are not good at inventory management. Inventory Levels Over the Quarters of the Pandemic. Companies struggle to have the right inventories. The end result?

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This Week in Logistics News (August 10 – 16)

Logistics Viewpoints

WFS is a third-party marketplace for sellers initially rolled out in 2020 to boost revenue through existing e-commerce infrastructure, which has since added an inventory-focused offering to the platform. Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, Los Angeles and Long Beach make up 95 percent of all inbound container volume to the West Coast.

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“Why Do I have to Wait?” Supply Chain Disruption Gets Its Day

Logistics Viewpoints

The economy is picking up after the severe contraction in labor, productivity, and inventory that occurred during the height of the pandemic. Inventory, Efficiency, and the Extended Supply Chain. But the US ratio of total business inventories to sales is hovering at a 25-year low. Source: Descartes Datamyne.

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One Type of Inflation is Caused by Supply Chain Issues (And That is a Good Thing)

Logistics Viewpoints

But SHIFEX, the freight forwarder rate index, recently recorded the lowest ocean freight rate between China and the port of Long Beach in 24 months —a rate of $3,500 to move a 40-foot container. This is an 80% drop year on year drop. When the Federal Reserve (the Fed) believes inflation is too high, they raise interest rates.

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When The Chickens Come Home To Roost

Supply Chain Shaman

Ships continue to hold in the west coast harbors of LA and Long Beach, and the west coast warehouses are full. Inventories in the chemical industry are at record lows: a forerunner of bad days ahead. Much of the inventory on the ships at sea will miss the essential seasonal windows. Retail shelves are increasingly empty.

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You Should Be Worried. Supply Chains Are Not OK. Let’s Lock Arms To Drive Change

Supply Chain Shaman

When the ball drops on Times Square to welcome in 2022, the employees at the Port of Long Beach will celebrate moving 9 M TEUs in imports: a 26% increase year-over-year. Get Good at Inventory Management. Push past cursory analysis of safety stock and embrace the concepts of form and function of inventory.

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China volumes fall as demand climbs from S. East Asia – April 29, 2025 Update

Freightos

Many China-reliant US importers may be well positioned to completely pause shipments from China at least for a few weeks because of inventory surpluses built up over the last few months via frontloading ahead of the expected tariffs.

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