Monitoring the Situation on the Rhine River
Rhine River levels continue to sink, forcing companies to seek alternatives for the freight they send up and down the enormous waterway. Water levels decreased again recently by another five inches and remains uneconomical for many commodity-hauling barges to sail through. “At the beginning of March, the ships could be loaded with roughly 2,200 [metric] […]
Surface Transportation Board Given New Authority
Rail freight problems are not just the result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Years of attempts to cut costs have led to lower employee volumes, out of service equipment, and closed rail yards; all of which have contributed to the current supply chain disruptions experienced everywhere. In attempts to try to improve, the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials […]
Why The U.S. Isn’t “Officially” in a Recession
President Joe Biden and the Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, have stated that the U.S. is not officially in a recession. However, it’s not up to them to declare an official recession; that declaration comes from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and they haven’t commented yet. The NBER defines a recession as a […]
Rhine River Levels Stress Supply Chains Further
The Rhine River is one of Europe’s most important shipping routes – around 80% of inland waterway goods transports rely on this one river that passes through several major cities. Businesses and manufacturers depend on shipments they receive from these transports. The Rhine is particularly important for transporting agricultural products, commodities like coal and oil, […]
Covid Concerns in China Continue
In China, the communist party is in fear that civil unrest could mean trouble for Mr. Xi’s historic third term later this year. China is the only major economy still prioritizing the fight against the virus above everything else, while the rest of the world has started to embrace a new normal living with Covid. […]
