Beth Dempsey, Author at International Housewares Association

SCOTUS IEEPA Decision Alters Tariff Paradigm

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — On Feb 20, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a 6-3 decision that tariffs imposed by President Trump using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are not legal. As such, SCOTUS struck down the “fentanyl” tariffs that went into effect on March 4, 2025, for Mexico, Canada, and China, and the…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – March

February 26 – Conference Board: Consumer Confidence Improves in February After January Slide Consumer intentions to purchase big-ticket items over the next six months rose in February as those who said they would and those who said maybe in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence survey increased, while the number of those saying they wouldn’t declined. From: HomePage…

Navigating U.S. Port Modernization Part I

by Dave Akers, IHSA "Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there." — Will Rogers As of early 2026, U.S. ports are engaged in an aggressive modernization push driven by the need to handle larger vessels ("megaships"), reduce congestion, and meet strict new environmental standards. The modernization efforts generally fall into four main…

Navigating AI Security in Ports & Intermodal Shipping

by Dave Akers, IHSA "Ignore AI, and you’ll own the next Blockbuster card.” — Arianna Huffington AI is significantly enhancing the security and safety of maritime shipping containers in 2026. This transformation has moved from experimental pilots to practical, real-time applications that protect against both physical and digital threats. These are some of the uses developed…

Groundhog Day and Tariffs

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — On Feb. 2, the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob and saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Perhaps businesses impacted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs (the “reciprocal” and “fentanyl” IEEPA tariffs) might have to wait that long for the Supreme Court…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – February

January 30 – Home Depot Laying Off 800 Workers at Atlanta HQ in Return-to-Office Move Our goal is to drive greater agility and position the company to move faster and stay even more closely connected with our frontline associates, said the company. From: HomePage News January 30 – Gen Z Takes Wedding Planning Lead with Minds on Budget, Social Content & AI Based on…

Navigating AI in Open Shipping

by Dave Akers, IHSA "Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity." — Albert Einstein Many of us already use AI technology in our workplace and realize the time and productivity advantages it affords us. We also know that AI is something that must be controlled and checked for accuracy. But through use and mastery, it can become more accurate and…

IEEPA Refunds, CIT Lawsuits and Tariff Retreats

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — With many legal observers predicting the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will rule against President Trump’s ability to use the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on some 200 countries and “fentanyl tariffs” on Canada, Mexico and China, American companies that paid the tariffs…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – January

December 23 – Visa: Holiday Spending Rose 4.2%; In-Store Sales Capture 73% of Spend General merchandise stores saw a 3.7% lift as consumers sought out convenience, Visa noted. From: Chain Store Age December 23 – Deal to Sell 120 J.C. Penney Stores for $950M Falls Through Shareholders include Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corporation, Authentic Brands Group and…