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IHA’s blog features informative posts written to keep the housewares industry educated and informed about key strategic issues and IHA member services.

Strong Demand Powers Rate Increases

Rates continue to escalate in the Eastbound Transpacific market. Strong demand, reduction of capacity, and the threat of tariffs are all contributing factors that are causing the high rates shippers are being forced to pay to move their cargo from Asia to the United States. Ocean rates to both the US East Coast and US West Coast are 53% higher than they were this time last…

Low Chinese Shipping Rates Severely Undercut American Businesses

An international postal agreement has been tipping the scales in favor of Chinese merchants for decades, allowing the e-commerce market to continue to become the domain of the Chinese at the expense of U.S. companies and taxpayers. The USPS is part of an arcane arrangement with the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which is the postal arm of the United Nations. This arrangement…

Stats: Generation Z Gears Up

How does Generation Z stack up as future consumers? According to a recent Mintel report, Generation Z (ages 12-22) is likely to be health conscious, interested in cooking and craving international cuisine. You can thank their parents. Traits of this lifestyle group include: Influenced by parents who are “on the lookout for sugar”— 25 percent of teens aged 15-17 say they…

Meet Home and Housewares Suppliers in Toronto

The International Housewares Association (IHA), manager of the International Home + Housewares Show in partnership with Canada’s HomeStyle Magazine, invite all Canadian home and housewares distributors and retailers to a buyer reception on September 25. The event will feature a Tabletop Trade Show, allowing buyers to meet home and housewares product suppliers while enjoying…

President Trump Issues Memorandum Ordering Level Playing Field for Terminal Dues Charges

On August 23, President Donald Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum addressing the issue of terminal dues, recognizing the damage they are doing to American business, offering a policy for reform and timeline for progress and recommendations if sufficient progress is not made by the deadline, including the possibility of self-declared rates. Terminal dues are below-cost…

Trends: Generation Z Becoming Creative Cooks

Just when you thought you had figured out what Millennials want, comes Generation Z. This future generation of housewares shoppers, ages 12-22, is diverse and tech-savvy according to a newly released survey from Mintel, and is likely to “impact the future of the food and drink industry” by increasing the reach of international cuisine, eating healthy and raising the bar for…

Proposed Tariffs To Have Greater Impact On Housewares Industry

The list of tariffs affecting the housewares industry will have a greater impact on home and housewares products with the proposed tariff rate recently increased to 25 percent from the original 10 percent announced by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The list includes more than 6,000 tariff subheadings, affecting $200 billion of goods imported from China. “The…

Gain More Than Education at the IBC Global Forum

Although one key component of the IBC Global Forum is the education received through the retailer and distributor presentations, there are several other tangible benefits to attending this annual event. The 2018 IBC Global Forum will feature a Tabletop Trade Show as exclusive opportunity for attendees to expand their network and grow sales. This component to the Global Forum…

IBC 101: International Essentials

As a preview to the presentation during the upcoming IBC Global Forum, the following is a brief on the IBC 101: International Essentials workshop: The IBC Global Forum serves to provide attendees with practical, pragmatic resources to assist in developing resources that ultimately help support global sales. An important component to the Global Forum are the suppliers who…