Toilet paper: the perpetual victim of the supply chain
Good morning! Happy Sunday - remember this:
“It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.” – Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
In the early days of the pandemic, toilet paper shortages were one of the first signs of the supply chain crises that were yet to come. The people hoarded and the factories shut down, leaving many scrambling for a roll.
In retaliation for the West’s sanctions, Russia prohibited the export of birch wood. This has resulted in 1.2 million metric tons of pulp disappearing from the market and what’s been left has an increased price tag of 45%. On top of that, several mill outages and worker strikes have shaken the market. It’s predicted that the pulp market will remain tight until mid-2023 and until then… maybe you should start rationing that toilet paper. Otherwise, prepare to pay a premium.
Check out today’s featured article from AJOT to read about the stoppage of Russian birch wood exports and its results on toilet paper availability. Will toilet paper ever not be the victim of a supply chain crisis? ☕️
Featured Article:
Toilet paper is going to get costlier. Blame Russia | AJOT
“Add toilet paper to the list of products facing higher costs and fragile supply chains in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Company Culture & Diversity 🤝
Supplier diversity metrics are not yet the norm, despite industry push
Creating a diverse supplier chain seems to be at the forefront of the minds of CEOs, however only 38% of companies actually measure any metrics to make that happen. A 2022 State of Supplier Diversity Report has been released and shows that 93% of respondents understand that supplier diversity had a positive impact on the company. So why is there a lack of support?
Companies need clearly defined supplier diversity goals. Adequate staffing and budget are needed to meet deadlines and respondents have advised these are the most challenging aspects of operationalizing supplier diversity.
Network Association & Shipping 🤝
Oceanic carriers and shippers have a yo-yo relationship
Ocean carriers spent much of the pandemic rejecting shipper contracts due to severe congestion in the supply chain. Now as congestion begins to disappear, those same shippers are being a little less picky.
Tumultuous to say the least, carriers and shippers have a challenging relationship. Gordon Downes, chief executive officer of NYSHEX, spoke with Bob Bowman, Editor-in-Chief of SupplyChainBrain on a podcast about the topic. What could be on the line if carriers and shippers refuse to “get along?”
iLevel With You
More topics for the average American household to consider…
💰 It’s no secret that the global economy is on unsteady ground. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is downgrading its economic output predictions for the end of 2022 and 2023, dropping to 3.2% and 2.7% declines respectively. It’s about a 25% chance that global growth could steeply decline past its historical low of 2%, but many remain hopeful.
🌊 Mississippi River shows little signs of relief. The drought spreading across the Midwest United States has brought ships and barges in the Mississippi River to a slow pace. The weather forecast isn’t looking good… there is hardly any rain expected this week in the midwest. Much of the river has resorted to dredging the silt at the bottom in order to let ships pass through.
GET SMART
Ramp up that brain power for these advanced topics…
🚛 What’s the sitch? The trucking industry is usually the alarm bell the public looks to in order to predict an economic shutdown. But surprisingly, there are lots of mixed signals. Truck tonnage index rates are fluctuating, rising 2.8% in August after decreasing 1.5% in July. Any predictions are now all over the board and some analysts are warning of a “trucking winter” - with weaker demand and declining transportation prices on the horizon.
The Workday Dash is an aggregation of articles regarding the transportation logistics, trucking, and supply chain industries for November 28, 2024, from iLevel Logistics Inc.