Day: June 15, 2017

Will President Trump’s Focus on Imports and Exports Impact the Nation’s Warehouses?

With so much emphasis placed on trade policy by President Donald Trump, the warehouse industry remains on high alert for any clues about what the future will bring. If policies will truly reduce the trade deficit, how will your warehouse be affected?

The Trump administration says that they want the U.S. to “reclaim all of the supply chain and manufacturing capability” that they believe have been lost to overseas competitors.

Warehousing Outlook in the Trump Era

Over at Material Handling & Logistics, industry experts point to a Cushman & Wakefield study that predicts major changes — but that President Trump will stop short of pulling out of NAFTA or initiating a trade conflict with China.

At DJ Products, we keep tabs on the industry because our warehouse movers and tugs can play an integral role in a company’s speed and agility in changing circumstances. Here’s what seems clear about Trump Administration policy and the warehousing industry:

• Imports from countries that subsidize their goods below market value may get tariffs added.

• U.S. warehouses, which have increased by 3.5 billion square feet since the start of NAFTA in 1995, will continue to see plenty of trade with Canada and Mexico.

• China’s growing wealth and consumerism will help increase the amount of U.S. exports to China.

Warehouse Movers and Tugs for Material Handling Efficiency

Whether your warehouse handles imported goods or serves as a logistics center for a U.S. manufacturer, the years ahead will hold plenty of changes no matter which Trump Administration trade policies take effect.

DJ Products can help your business grow and improve efficiency with industrial cart movers, warehouse movers and tugs.

Warehouse News: What’s In Store for 2017?

One of the keys to successful supply chain management is matching inventory levels to consumer demand. How is retail activity for 2017 shaping up compared to recent years?

Predicting Sales Based on Port Activity

The Global Port Tracker is a monthly report generated by the National Retail Federation (NRF) in conjunction with consulting firm Hackett Associates. Based on activity at major retail container ports, the NRF predicts that sales will grow between 3.7 percent and 4.2 percent over 2016’s numbers.

Port activity is measured in twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, which equate to a 20-foot-long cargo container. According to Global Port Tracker, the ports it covers handled 1.58 million TEUs in December 2016, which was a 10.2 percent increase from the previous December.

Total cargo volume in 2016 equaled 18.8 million TEUs. That number was up 3.2 percent from 2015, which in turn showed a 5.4 percent increase over 2014.

What’s in Store for 2017?

Jonathan Gold, vice president of Supply Chain And Customs Policy for NRF, explains that greater quantities of imports flowing through ports usually indicates a corresponding growth in sales. This trend led NRF to forecast 9.4 million TEUs during the first half of 2017, for a healthy 4.6 percent increase over the same period in 2016.

Move Inventory Efficiently with Warehouse Tugs from DJ Products

When inventory is flowing through your warehouse, every minute counts. A single employee can move loads up to 10,000 pounds quickly and safely with our CartCaddy5WP. Visit our website and let our friendly sales engineers help you find the right solution from our full line of electric warehouse tugs.